Sticky solution to junk mail

6.36.06pm GMT Wed 31st Jan 2007

A new weapon in the war on junk mail has been unveiled by Richmond Council. The borough's EcoAction team is offering free "No Junk Mail" stickers for residents to attach to letterboxes.

Half a million tonnes of junk mail is generated annually in the UK, requiring 3.5 million trees to produce it, with the average home receiving 224 items a year. Cllr Martin Elengorn, Cabinet Member for Environment on Richmond Council, said: "Junk mail and unsolicited flyers are a nuisance, a real waste of resources and add significantly to the rubbish mountain. Attaching one of these stickers to your letterbox will help combat the problem at source and reduce the burden on our waste and recycling service."

Residents can also sign up to the free Mail Preference Service and stop 95 per cent of unwanted mail and faxes by calling 0845 070 0707. The Council is also calling on residents to avoid over-packaged goods in local shops and supermarkets. Buying products loose rather than pre-packed, for example, cuts down on hard to recycle plastic waste. Examples of unnecessary packaging should be brought to the attention of the store manager or Consumer Direct on 08454 040 506, who will refer the matter to trading standards officers for investigation.

Richmond Council supports the government-funded Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which works with businesses to reduce the amount and type of packaging they use. To order your free "No Junk Mail" sticker please call 08456 122 660 or email your address to recycling@richmond.gov.uk

For further media information contact Cristian Marcucci on 020 8487 5049.