Creating A Sustainable Christmas: How To Reduce Paper Waste Created By Junk Mail

Holiday junk mail is not only a nuisance, but it may also be harming our ecosystems, which isn’t holly-jolly at all. Mail around the holidays was once something special. Opening your mailbox in the month of December used to be an exciting experience of receiving hand-written cards, Christmas packages, and invitations for yuletide gatherings. Nowadays, mailboxes are stuffed with junk mail such as advertisements for things we won’t buy, coupons that will expire before we can use them, and catalogues for things we will just order off of Amazon instead. Despite “real” mail being in steep decline, advertisers are mailing more than ever over the holidays.

Christmas is a time for giving, and giving means shopping, ordering, and most importantly, buying. That’s why companies start sending out advertisements over a month in advance. They do this in an attempt to entice holiday shoppers to buy their products, but the pile of junk at the end of the “most wonderful time of the year” is something that most Canadians don’t think about.

Holiday junk mail may seem like a small issue but it contributes to a large problem. A lot of attention has been brought to the urgent topic of climate change and the effects that humans have on the planet. 100 million trees are cut down each year to make junk mail, destroying ecosystems and reducing the number of trees to produce oxygen. 42% of all junk mail goes into the landfills, and isn't recycled properly, this means that companies will continue to cut down trees. The amount of pollution that comes from transporting junk mail is massive.




Making the Christmas season more sustainable is a difficult task considering the number of people that would be affected. Most people already have their own traditions that they are not willing to change. So what can we change about Christmas that would not disturb traditions while making it more sustainable? Junk mail. Sorting through junk mail takes a lot of time, most of it ends up in the garbage before you even read it. There are some exceptions, for example, when you are interested in an offer included in an advertisement. For the most part, however, it just fills up our garbage cans. The exact same offers can come in the form of an email, meaning you get great deals from your favourite places and help the environment along the way.

So, how can we as consumers help cut down on junk mail, especially around the holidays? Here are a few simple steps to follow: The first option is to put a note on your mailbox stating that you would like to stop receiving mail advertisements. This note will stop any unaddressed mail from making it into your mailbox. The consumer’s choice program will do the same thing when you sign up for it online. The second option is signing up for the CMA’s do not mail service, this will stop all of the CMA’s members from delivering unwanted advertisements. When taking these actions, Canada Post and the CMA will try to convince you to reconsider because the junk mail could be “beneficial”. However, the only reason that they want you to receive junk mail is because companies pay them for delivering it. If you would like to be more specific about what companies you do not want mail from, then you can put yourself on that companies do not mail list.




As humans, we are starting to realize the impact that we have on our world, and what we can do to maintain a healthy planet that future generations can enjoy. No matter how small an act, when everyone works together it can make a huge difference. As this holiday season commences, let's continue to find ways to make a difference.

Citations:

Leamy, Elisabeth. “How to Stop Junk Mail and Save Trees - and Your Sanity.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 Feb. 2018, 7:00am, www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/how-to-stop-junk-mail-and-save-trees--and-your-sanity/2018/02/12/6000e4c4-05d9-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html.

Liu, Jeanette. “Canada Post Asks Canadians to Start Accepting Junk Mail.” Global News, Global News, 23 May 2013, 4:32pm, globalnews.ca/news/585922/canada-post-opts-for-junk-mail/.

Mazareanu, E. “Canada Post - Mail Volume 2018.” Statista, 23 Apr. 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/727397/mail-volume-of-canada-post/.



Photos:

“Create a Green Christmas in Writing with an Ornament That Shows Two People Carrying a Christmas Tree.” 10 Steps to a More Sustainable Christmas , 26 Nov. 2019, www.newswise.com/articles/10-steps-to-a-more-sustainable-christmas.


“Blue Christmas Tree Ornament That Says Love Your Planet with a Recycling Symbol .” Sustainable Holiday Tips , Pratt Industries , 28 Nov. 2012, innovations.prattindustries.com/2012/11/28/sustainable-holiday-tips/post/post/0.