The county council has teamed up with its seven district and borough councils to launch a campaign under the slogan 'Only The Mail You Want', adding to its other initiatives on waste minimisation.
The campaign is centred around a leaflet containing information on how residents can stop both addressed and unaddressed junk mail. It will include a tear-off postcard application to sign up for the Mailing Preference Service, which removes consumers from commercial and non-profit mailing lists.
Steve Waight, West Sussex county council cabinet member for strategic planning and environment, said: “Unwanted mail is a real nuisance for many people and the 'Only The Mail You Want' leaflet is packed with advice and tips about how to avoid receiving it.”
The county council said that nearly four billion pieces of direct mail are sent to homes in Britain. About one third of this is thrown straight into the bin and more than 78,000 tonnes ended up in landfill last year.
“Landfill is not a sustainable option. It is also expensive and there are restrictions coming into force on the amount of waste we can dispose of by this method,” said Cllr Waight.
If residents do receive unwanted mail, West Sussex councils are encouraging them to recycle it in kerbside collections or bring banks.
The county council estimates that it only has six years' landfill capacity left and so is running several waste minimisation programmes in the county including reduced prices on food digesters and home composters, with purchases also contributing money to schools, as well as a 30 cash-back incentive for parents using real nappies.
Cllr Waight said: “I am sure that this campaign against junk mail, which we have launched with our district and borough colleagues, will be equally as valuable.”
Register for free to comment