Comments on: Carbon Footprint of US Junk Mail Equivalent to 480,000 Cars http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:52:29 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Lee Alexander http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-6788 Lee Alexander Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:38:34 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-6788 We should urge congress to pass legislation requiring them to use 90% post consumer recycled materials. It would increase the operating costs, but at least that would be a step into making these companies more responsible. We should urge congress to pass legislation requiring them to use 90% post consumer recycled materials. It would increase the operating costs, but at least that would be a step into making these companies more responsible.

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]]> By: Carlo http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-4140 Carlo Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:45:04 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-4140 I see what you're getting at, but I think we have to pick and choose our battles. In my opinion, this is useless stuff except for maybe (MAYBE) 1-2% of it where you might actually see something you want/need. What's the cost/benefit? I think it's high time to move away from paper junk mail. There are many more and different ways for businesses to promote themselves these days: Facebook, Twitter, etc...social networking. Paper junk mail is a dinosaur (and an eyesore!). I see what you’re getting at, but I think we have to pick and choose our battles. In my opinion, this is useless stuff except for maybe (MAYBE) 1-2% of it where you might actually see something you want/need. What’s the cost/benefit?

I think it’s high time to move away from paper junk mail. There are many more and different ways for businesses to promote themselves these days: Facebook, Twitter, etc…social networking. Paper junk mail is a dinosaur (and an eyesore!).

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]]> By: Bruce Colthart (@bccreative) http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-4139 Bruce Colthart (@bccreative) Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:38:41 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-4139 Most landfills are designed to prevent biodegrading (and toxic runoff), being completely lined in heavy plastic. Some forward-thinking ones are being tapped for methane. Paper is an organic product. Sure, inks contain chemicals (as do too many foods, sadly) but the printing industry, like many others, is evolving, lessening their environmental impact. I guess 2.1 lbs/tons out of 100 is worse than a utopian zero lbs/tons, but far better than 97.9 out of 100. Lots of stuff - annoying stuff too – requires energy and requires a place for waste. Obese people and empty city buses and servers running 24/7 arguably consume more resources and generate more waste, yet we don't take legal action. To outlaw everything that's annoying or requires energy would make the world a rather unrecognizable place. I get mail I don't want, but how would I know what to opt into? How would I know what's available to me? I don't want to get mail from crackpot politicians either, but should they be banned from a free speech venue – mail – subsidized in part by taxpayers? if I'm a local business, should I be banned from sharing information and offers? As a local business person, I'd have to weigh the alienation of the annoyed against the value of new prospects who say 'huh... I'm gonna try these guys." As a consumer (and we all consume) the unwanted mail I get is the small price I pay for the [possibly] interesting stuff. Maybe if I had to lug recyclable paper down several flights to the street I might feel different, however :] Most landfills are designed to prevent biodegrading (and toxic runoff), being completely lined in heavy plastic. Some forward-thinking ones are being tapped for methane. Paper is an organic product. Sure, inks contain chemicals (as do too many foods, sadly) but the printing industry, like many others, is evolving, lessening their environmental impact. I guess 2.1 lbs/tons out of 100 is worse than a utopian zero lbs/tons, but far better than 97.9 out of 100.

Lots of stuff – annoying stuff too – requires energy and requires a place for waste. Obese people and empty city buses and servers running 24/7 arguably consume more resources and generate more waste, yet we don’t take legal action. To outlaw everything that’s annoying or requires energy would make the world a rather unrecognizable place.

I get mail I don’t want, but how would I know what to opt into? How would I know what’s available to me? I don’t want to get mail from crackpot politicians either, but should they be banned from a free speech venue – mail – subsidized in part by taxpayers? if I’m a local business, should I be banned from sharing information and offers? As a local business person, I’d have to weigh the alienation of the annoyed against the value of new prospects who say ‘huh… I’m gonna try these guys.” As a consumer (and we all consume) the unwanted mail I get is the small price I pay for the [possibly] interesting stuff.

Maybe if I had to lug recyclable paper down several flights to the street I might feel different, however :]

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]]> By: Carlo http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-4138 Carlo Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:03:46 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-4138 At least the food scraps are biodegradable. And the actual amount of junk mail is still only half the problem (or less) - not to mention that 2.1% of a lot is still a lot. But it's also the energy required to produce and transport it too that's a big problem. I think it should be the other way around, you should have to opt IN to get junk mail. It's like reverse charges for cable television (or any other service) - we'll charge you for services you didn't ask for unless you tell us specifically you don't want them. Would you be happy with that? At least the food scraps are biodegradable. And the actual amount of junk mail is still only half the problem (or less) – not to mention that 2.1% of a lot is still a lot. But it’s also the energy required to produce and transport it too that’s a big problem.

I think it should be the other way around, you should have to opt IN to get junk mail. It’s like reverse charges for cable television (or any other service) – we’ll charge you for services you didn’t ask for unless you tell us specifically you don’t want them. Would you be happy with that?

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]]> By: Bruce Colthart (@bccreative) http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-4132 Bruce Colthart (@bccreative) Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:06:01 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-4132 According to the EPA, in a 2007 report, direct "junk" mail makes up 2.1 percent of municipal solid waste. Newspapers and magazines make up 2.3 percent. Food scraps makes up the largest percent at 18.2 percent. "I demand that my apples and oranges come pre-peeled!" Or... "There should be a law against people who don't finish their dinner." Don't like what you're getting in the mail? Opt out at dmachoice.org I don't trust an annoyed mob to make laws about what I should and shouldn't receive in the mail. According to the EPA, in a 2007 report, direct “junk” mail makes up 2.1 percent of municipal solid waste. Newspapers and magazines make up 2.3 percent. Food scraps makes up the largest percent at 18.2 percent. “I demand that my apples and oranges come pre-peeled!” Or… “There should be a law against people who don’t finish their dinner.”

Don’t like what you’re getting in the mail? Opt out at dmachoice.org

I don’t trust an annoyed mob to make laws about what I should and shouldn’t receive in the mail.

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]]> By: Julie Schwietert http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-3406 Julie Schwietert Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:46:51 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-3406 Actually- it was just stuck in moderation. And if you'll scroll back through our article archives, we recently did write an article about all of us "treehuggers" who use computers all day long. We were pretty critical about it, too. We tend to be more interested in constructive conversation, though, not finger-pointing or name-calling. Actually- it was just stuck in moderation. And if you’ll scroll back through our article archives, we recently did write an article about all of us “treehuggers” who use computers all day long. We were pretty critical about it, too. We tend to be more interested in constructive conversation, though, not finger-pointing or name-calling.

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]]> By: Julie Schwietert http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-3405 Julie Schwietert Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:44:49 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-3405 Cliff- We never actually saw your comment supporting the post office, though if it's on topic and you'd like to resend it, we'd be happy to approve it. Cliff- We never actually saw your comment supporting the post office, though if it’s on topic and you’d like to resend it, we’d be happy to approve it.

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]]> By: Cliff Claven http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-3402 Cliff Claven Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:01:59 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-3402 Way to purge my comment supporting the Post Office. So I guess you only print opinions that agree with the true 'junk mail' aka the 'junk science' of people like Al Gore and the Global Warming nutjobs. Way to purge my comment supporting the Post Office. So I guess you only print opinions that agree with the true ‘junk mail’ aka the ‘junk science’ of people like Al Gore and the Global Warming nutjobs.

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]]> By: Cliff Claven http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-3396 Cliff Claven Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:49:52 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-3396 I work for the Post Office. Banning admail takes money out of my pocket from delivering it, the printshops who print the flyers, the advertising agencies who come up with the marketing campaigns, and the businesses themselves who need to advertise in order to get customers to use their product. You treehuggers who are so quick to talk about the 'carbon footprint' of admail see no hyprocrisy in typing on your computers all day long. What powers your computer? Oh yeah, ELECTRICITY. From coal fired generators and nuclear power plants. And then in two years when your computer is obsolete, you buy another one while your old one goes in the landfill so that it can leach toxic materials like mercury into the water table. But admail from recycled paper is the world's greatest concern... I work for the Post Office. Banning admail takes money out of my pocket from delivering it, the printshops who print the flyers, the advertising agencies who come up with the marketing campaigns, and the businesses themselves who need to advertise in order to get customers to use their product. You treehuggers who are so quick to talk about the ‘carbon footprint’ of admail see no hyprocrisy in typing on your computers all day long. What powers your computer? Oh yeah, ELECTRICITY. From coal fired generators and nuclear power plants. And then in two years when your computer is obsolete, you buy another one while your old one goes in the landfill so that it can leach toxic materials like mercury into the water table. But admail from recycled paper is the world’s greatest concern…

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]]> By: Jeff http://matadorchange.com/carbon-footprint-of-us-junk-mail-equivalent-to-480000-cars/comment-page-1#comment-3326 Jeff Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:50:56 +0000 http://matadorchange.com/?p=323#comment-3326 I wish we could stop it but the Post office doesn't want it to stop and they have helped to kill legislation. Write your congressman. I wish we could stop it but the Post office doesn’t want it to stop and they have helped to kill legislation. Write your congressman.

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