Here is a sample! 

 

1. Look up your congressperson here:  [Congress Person Database]

 

2.  Cut and paste the following into a new document and fill out your information.

 

3. Print & mail to let your elected leader know that you care about this issue!

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[Date]

The Honorable [your congress person]

[Address]

[City, State Zip]

 

Dear Congress Member,

 

I am a [your grade] student at [your school] and I have joined an organization called StoptheJunk.org.  I unsubscribe people in my community from the unwanted catalogs they receive in an attempt to reduce the huge waste of paper, fossil fuels and labor.  I am doing what I can in my community but the larger problem is that corporations are not held to any legal standard when sending out catalogs that are unwanted and clog people’s mailboxes.   There is also no law that will stop them from selling customer's information to other companies that will then send them unwanted catalogs.

 

I urge you to consider supporting a law that holds companies accountable for their catalog mailings, much like the CAN-SPAM act for emails. At the moment, companies are allowed to do whatever they want with their catalog mailings - they aren’t even legally obligated to take someone off of their mailing list if they ask. Not only is it annoying to have your mailbox full of catalogs that you don’t want, it is also very bad for the environment: 

 

•   5.6 million tons of junk mail end up in American landfills every year. (source: New York University)

•    The average American household receives 1.5 trees worth of junk mail each year. (source: Waste Away Group)

•  Junk mail’s annual carbon contribution is equal to that of seven U.S. states combined. (source: The Washington Post)

 

With laws in place to regulate the catalog distribution by companies, we could significantly reduce the environmental impacts that this would have. This law would likely have to entail some of the things that the CAN-SPAM act does, such as being clear on how to opt out of receiving catalogs, and to be legally obligated to honor the request to opt out by the catalog receiver.

 

To write this law will not only improve the lives of many who receive unwanted catalogs, but also be an investment in our environment and our future.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

 

[YOUR NAME HERE]

[Your address]

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