Show As- denis hayes u Here’s what - TODAY USA WEEKEND kick off a new column by Earth Day Denis feature looks a that at practiHayes: regular cal solutions to specific environmental problems Hayes made his mark in 1970 when he dropped out of Harvard Law School to help plan the first Earth Day Since then the San Francisco lawyer has traveled the world to promote environmental awareness As head of Green Seal he works with scientists and businesses to develop a wide range of products First you cook with th non-wastef- ' you do with it co-foun- down-to-ear- - Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil Or line a pan with it Freeze or simply store leftovers with it ul There are a million You can fight junk mail recipes and reasons to use Reynolds Wrap How to ease the burden on the environment you dread opening your Nine out of 10 items you in it may be things you ask for and you don’t want I don’t mean bills I mean junk mail Last year Americans received more than 60 billion pieces of junk mail That’s 230 unsolicited appeals advertisements and catalogs for every man woman and child in the USA Most of the mail was unwanted and thrown Do away unopened The environmental impact of junk mail is stunning Rivers are polluted by mills making the paper Vast amounts of energy arc consumed delivering boxcar loads of letters And landfills arc choked with the debris Some 75000 acres of forest are harvested each year mail-ord- er catajust to provide the paper for from a catalog about 20 logs When you buy percent of the price you pay for your order goes to paying for the catalogs Direct mail if used correctly can bring benefits It can play a role like that of political pamphlets in organizing the Boston Tea Party For example campaigns launched by means of junk mail have helped save the oceans’ dolphins from tuna nets and have aroused the public against drunken driving Many environmental groups and a vanguard of socially responsible catalog companies like Smith & Hawken and Patagonia have begun to be sensitive about their junk mail The best use only recycled paper recycled packaging and inks and they take care to eliminate duplicate mailings As postal rates climb and as electronic communications networks become more widespread the problem of junk mail may sink under its own weight soy-bas- ed But for now most junk mail remains junk Fortunately you have the power to curb it You can help reduce the load in your mailbox by taking these actions: f GET OFF THE LISTS The Direct Marketing Association provides a free service that will remove your name from lists A simple request to the many direct-ma- il association can decrease your junk mail by as much as 75 percent Write: Mail Preference Service co Direct Marketing Association PO Box 3861 New York NY 10163-386- 1 Rinse the Rey WrapThen recycle it the same way jhimt U Provide every variation of the spelling of your name that has appeared on mailing labels such as with or without middle initials Include the names of other family members as well Allow 3 months for your name to be purged t if :zi Reynolds ' SKIP THE RENTALS Many solicitations allow you to check a box indicating that you do not want your name and address rented to others Other groups will refrain from renting your name if you send them a letter requesting them to do so f youralumirr: 1 t Jrrjm Recycling ¥ iop i V V § Id v J ' n ezr r r— ii ' ' RECYCLE THE REST Don’t throw mail — junk or otherwise — into the trash Recycle it (but check first with your local recycling program to determine what types of paper they accept) If your community does not yet have a curbside recycling program start a campaign to set one up Denis Hayes is the chairman of Green Seal For more information about curtailing junk mail contact: Green Seal PO BoxR Stanford University Stanford Calif 94309 USA WEEKEND April 19-2- 1 1991 15 nothing pretexts pW IF llkklt 4 itQeiv clable Reyn ilc! s Wrap CRMC19S1 i 5 |