The Carbon Connection

It is estimated that 19 billion catalogs are mailed to American consumers each year. The manufacture of paper requires energy. That energy most likely comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide into Earths atmosphere. And the raw material for paper is wood. 53 millions of trees are cut down each year just to make the paper used for printing the 19 billion catalogs. Of course, printing a catalog takes energy as well. And transporting paper from paper mills to printing plants (and from printing plants to distribution centers and from distribution centers to your mailbox) involves vehicles burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon dioxide. Over 3.6 million tons of paper are used to print catalogs each year.

Perhaps the easiest way to cut down on your catalogs is to use the online service, Catalog Choice. Sponsored by the California-based Ecology Center and endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, Catalog Choice offers you a simple way to opt out of catalogs. To use Catalog Choice, you first sign up for a free account. Then, for each catalog you no longer want to receive, you enter the name on the mailing label and the customer number if you find one on the catalog. Repeat the process for as many catalogs as you like. Catalog Choice then contacts the mail order companies for you and requests that your name be removed from their mailing lists. In 8 to 10 weeks, you should start seeing a big difference in the number of catalogs reaching your mailbox.