It has been estimated that around a million tonnes of junk mail is produced each year in the UK. It takes 17 trees to make 1 tonne of paper so reducing the amount of junk mail that you receive will help to conserve natural resources and mean that you have less to recycle or throw away.

Registration services

Residents have the option to register with two organisations that can help to reduce the amount of unwanted or unsolicitated mail (or faxes or telephone calls) received. 

Registering with the Mailing Preference Service can remove your details from up to 95% of direct mail lists in the UK. This applies to the mail that is personally addressed to you and you can also stop unwanted telephone calls and faxes.
To find out more about the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) and the range of services that it provides call them on 0845 703 4599  (please note that this an automated phone line) or log onto www.mpsonline.org.uk .   Other services provided by the Mailing Preference Service enable you to also register to reduce unwanted telephone calls and faxes to both homes and businesses.

Registering with Royal Mail will stop them delivering unaddressed advertising material that is delivered to your door by Royal Mail, please note that advertising mail delivered directly by the advertiser will not be stopped.
To opt out of receiving Door to Door mail items, email your name and address to optout@royalmail.com or send them to Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTTS, Royal Mail Door to Door Opt Outs, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, OXFORD, OX1 1RX. You will be sent an opt-out form to your address, for you to sign and return.

Even if you’ve already registered with the Mailing Preference Service or the Royal Mail Opt Out scheme, remember to re-register if you have moved home, or are continuing to receive mail for other householders who have moved away.

Other ways to reduce mail

• When purchasing new services and joining new companies select the option not to receive information about other services and also the option for your details not to be passed onto other companies.
• When completing the annual electoral register form tick the 'edited register' option for each person, this will keep each person's details off the publicly available register.
• Some companies now offer secure online billing instead of sending paper bills.
• Unwanted mail can be recycled (please remove any cellophane from window envelopes) along with newspapers and magazines through the kerbside recycling collections that operate across much of the borough, or at the paper banks at your local recycling centre.