Junk mail targeted as city steps up war against waste

Sheffield Council and Veolia Environmental Services, which collects the city’s waste, said the average Sheffield household receives 650 pieces of junk mail each year.

According to a study, the majority remains unopened or unread generating unnecessary waste.

Veolia’s junk mail experts visited the city’s Fargate to provide residents with practical advice on how to stamp out junk mail and to give them the opportunity to post opt-out forms into Chomper, Veolia’s “mean-green junk mail eating machine”.

Council staff were also able to help people sign up via the internet to remove their details from up to 95 per cent of direct mailing lists. Over 80 residents signed up and received a free Wise up to junk mail guide and a No Junk Mail sticker to display on their letter box.

Kate Hughes, waste awareness officer at Veolia said: “There are simple steps residents can take to wise up to junk mail, such as signing up to the mailing preference service, displaying no junk mail stickers on their letter boxes and ticking opt-out boxes when buying products and services.

“If we can reduce the amount of junk mail residents receive then we can have a big impact on the amount of paper waste we create in Sheffield.”

To request a No Junk Mail sticker for your letter box or a copy of the Wise up to Junk Mail guide which was produced for the campaign, visit www.veolia.co.uk/sheffield or call 0114 273 4567.