Where Does Junk Mail Come From?

 Hey, guys. Not only am I a waste minimization intern; I am a master detective! As I have been sitting here listening to the Postal Service, I have been on a journey to determine how our postal service works here on campus. It has turned out to be much more of a challenge than I thought. No, really! Junk mail is like the far side of the moon. Junk mail is that fleeting moment when you are walking around the mall and you see someone you think you know, but you just can’t put your finger on it, and you look at them with an odd, questioning face causing them to stare back at you with that Why are you looking at me, weirdo, stop it, I don’t even know you, aaaaaaah weird people lookin’ at me kind of look. If you know what I mean. Apparently each dorm receives junk mail from a source I have yet to determine, and most of it is recycled. But where does it come from before it reaches the dorms? I have yet to find someone who can answer that question exactly. I shall be meeting with the director of the mail room next week and will hopefully find more clues to help me with this mystery.The project I am working on right now involves finding out how much junk mail is received by both administrative offices and dorms and seeing if we can somehow prevent that junk mail from being delivered to our University for good. By doing so, we would reduce waste and save a whole bunch of time, energy, and money that is normally squandered on sorting the junk mail. Anyway, why should we even have to go through the trouble or receiving and sorting it if no one has any use for it? We would not be the first University to do so: the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Idaho have both been successful and stopping junk mail from reaching their campuses.

 

If you are feeling extra motivated by this afternoon tirade of mine, there are many things you can do to reduce the junk mail that you receive at home. Just check out the Operation Opt-Out page on the OCS’s main website. We have listed a bunch of resources you can use to put that junk mail in its rightful place (Yeah, man). If you’re into all that smart phone stuff, there is even an app that allows you to snap a picture of a piece of junk mail that will act as a request to have that company stop sending you mail. But remember, the best piece of advice for reducing the amount of junk mail you receive is to stop giving your information to absolutely every person who requests it! No, I don’t mean stop giving out your number to that one hot girl down the road who never returns the favor (you may have other issues if this is the case). I mean stop giving out your phone number and address to every single cashier that rings you up when you are out shopping! I’m sure they are all lovely people just trying to do their jobs, but you have every right to refuse giving out sensitive information like that, information that will probably be used later on to bombard your humble abode with unnecessary mail.

Oh no, my detective phone is ringing. My first lead is here! I’m out.

Originally posted on June 5, 2012 by Holly Tallen.