Monday 4 November 2013

This morning's mail.

The morning's mail fell with a crash on the vestibule floor and scattered across it.   There was a lot of it.   This is what it comprised:
1.  A brochure for solar panels.   (We already have solar power and have no need for any more.
2.  Another brochure for curtains, shutters and blinds - 'order today, delivery by Christmas.' (Don't need any)
3.  A thick book of cheap outdoor clothing.(Not the sort of thing we wear and we have never bought from the company).
4.  A world wide travel brochure. (I can no longer get travel insurance.)
5.  Two charity Christmas appeals.( I don't believe in spreading my charity thinly.  I already donate to children in Syria and RSPB Bird Reserves monthly.  At Christmas a special donation to Cancer charities in memory of my dear friend is also given)
6.  A Home Insurance brochure. (All our insurances are dealt with by the farm's Insurance Broker).

In other words - none of it was of any interest.   The lot went into the bin unopened ready for recycling.   Does this seem a waste of resources to you - or is it just me?   Surely it is a waste of paper, a poor use of manpower, extra, unnecessary work?  Does anyone actually read these brochures and order from them?

In total this morning's post weighed 825g.

18 comments:

Crafty Green Poet said...

I hate junk mail, such a waste of resources. We get weekly fliers from the supermarket across the road outlining all their special offers with buried inside them a different bundle of other fliers every week. That is, thankfully about it most of the time, but still annoying and unnecessary

A Heron's View said...

The only good thing about junk mail is that it keeps a few people in work.

Bovey Belle said...

You can expect the phone calls to follow up soon, as apparently there is some deal between the Post Office/Royal Mail/whatever it is now to deliver all this "carp" and stamp it with bar codes to tell the companies it's been delivered, and then they can legally cold-call you. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477108/Now-Royal-Mail-plans-swamp-cold-calls.html

We put ours straight on the fire, so it serves some purpose . . .

Rachel Phillips said...

Clearly enough people do take up the offers to make it worthwhile for the companies to invest in these mail shots. Shred/burn or at least check first to make sure your name and address details are not there before putting out for recycling.

Jan said...

Since we are relatively new to the area, we haven't had a lot of junk mail. Alas, they appear to have found us-we are beginning to get more. We burn them with all our paper waste.

the veg artist said...

I complained to a charity the other day. I was quite offended by the amount they had spent, in one appeal; on envelopes (4 in total), cheap pen(1), coasters (2), bookmark (1) cards (2), pack of gift cards and one covering letter. I pointed out it would all be going straight to recycling or landfill, as our council does not recycle plastics or envelopes.
They replied that I could opt out of future appeals, but this had just been a drop delivered to every house by the postman.
I dread to think how much goes into the waste every day, let alone each year!

Dominic Rivron said...

I'd guess junk has kept the post office going which, I think, has been a good thing.

jinxxxygirl said...

This is a little different but i think the telephone books that get dropped off on my doorstep every year are such a waste......does anyone use them anymore? And really do we need a new one EVERY year? How about if i need a new one i'll ask you for one? I don't know ...such a waste including all the junk mail your talking about. I walk straight from my mailbox and put it in my recycle bin...it never even makes it in the house...except for the stuff with my name on it that i need to shred....sigh..Hugs! deb

Gwil W said...

I have a sign on my mail box 'no junk mail' - it works too!

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Hey, I had most of those items too! Best of all was the home insurance one which promised me that I could be "paying as little as.." and then quoted a figure which was almost twice what I'm paying!

Joanne Noragon said...

I maintain strict recycling at our house. My mantra: it gives people work. I'm not advocating the work for the companies that produce the stuff, but the people who process it at the transfer station will never be out of a job as long as I'm around to snatch a perfectly recyclable item from the trash and put in in the recycle bin. I guess I'm getting old.

Terry and Linda said...

I got 25 catalogs one day...I was stunned and so was our mailperson!!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Cloudia said...

Same issue here, P.

Your point by point parry of each
useless intruder spoke volumes (of wasted paper and effort and fuss)to other thoughtful types world wide!

I often look at this stuff and think "Who does waste money on this ****?"


Batten down the hatches for the Holiday$


ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^= <3

Virginia said...

You are lucky you still get delivered mail!

In New Zealand it's just been announced that as of next year mail deliveries will be cut back to three days a week for urban areas. They say that the rural deliveries will still be financially viable at 6 days, because they also deliver other things.

The problem of being a tiny population.

MorningAJ said...

Anything addressed to 'Dear Householder' and delivered by the post office goes straight back in the post box. If they try to dump it on me they can have the hassle of getting rid of it. I think if more people did that they'd find another way to raise money.

Edwina said...

Now if I knew where you lived I'd send you a pretty handmade card to give you something nice to open and look at instead of all that bumf. Here, we have to take the stuff that's in envelopes out of the envelopes as we're not 'allowed' to put envelopes in with paper/card etc recycling. So they go in a different bin... presumably something to do with the glue on the flaps? But hope that the next time postie comes, he brings you something that even if you don't need it, will be interesting to look at!

Heather said...

It's the same everywhere I suspect. We have mountains of the stuff which just helps to fill the recycling bag. Occasionally there will be something of interest but most of it is unasked for, unwanted and unnecessary.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Doesn't seem quite so bad when we are all in this together - and Dominic may be right - perhaps it does provide work for some folk.