41pounds.org is a nonprofit organisation working to eliminate a big personal nuisance and environmental hazard, junk mail.
The name comes from the amount of junk mail the average person receives each year (credit card applications, catalogs, coupon books, etc.) which for the most part goes directly into the trash can or recycling bin. Even with recycling programs all over the country, the majority of household waste is junk mail, and paper takes up about 40% of landfill space!
41pounds.org was founded by three brothers in Ferndale, Michigan in 2006. Since then, 41pounds.org has grown by word of mouth and through partnerships with nonprofit organisations who share the same goals about the impact of stopping junk mail.
In the words of the Founder, "We started 41pounds.org because we were continually overwhelmed with unwanted and wasteful junk mail — and we found out some staggering statistics that really bothered us about how costly junk mail is to our communities and the planet. To produce and process 4 million tons of junk mail a year, 100 million trees are destroyed and 28 billion gallons of water is wasted. And, global warming gases equivalent to 9 million cars are produced. In addition, $320 million of local taxes are spent to dispose of junk mail each year instead of providing parks, libraries, health care and other valuable services. Lastly, we found out that the credit card applications and other junk mail we receive may be used in identity theft and fraud.
We realized that the bulk mailing companies have conditioned us to accept 5 to10 pieces of junk mail a day, but we could change that. So, we created a simple, affordable service that dramatically reduces the amount of junk mail that comes to our homes every day. From the start, we were excited that this service would enable thousands and thousands of people to save time, save money and help the environment — but we wanted to do more. We set up 41pounds.org as a fundraising program to raise money for community and environmental organizations that are working every day to make a difference.
When you sign up with us, we contact 20 to 30 direct mail companies on your behalf to stop the majority of bulk mail that comes to your home every day. All you have to do is type in your contact info — then leave the rest to us. We contact the direct mail companies and get you off their lists! We also send you some pre-addressed postcards for you to send to the companies that require a signature from you. The service lasts for five years and costs just $41. That’s only $8.20 a year or about 70 cents a month. You can contact us any time with additional household names to protect or more direct mail companies to block.
With just a few minutes and $41, you’re finished — for five years! You can sit back and enjoy the benefits — and the satisfaction of knowing that valuable resources will no longer be wasted trying to sell you goods and services you don’t want. You’ll also enjoy the peace of mind that comes from reducing your exposure to identity fraud.
Meanwhile, for each person who signs up for our service, we donate more than 1/3 of our fee to community and environmental organisations. These organizations plant trees, protect watersheds and strengthen our communities.
We’re proud to have raised thousands of dollars for these important programs while we reduce the impact of junk mail on the planet and our daily lives. Because of people like you who sign up for our service, we are all saving time, saving trees and saving the planet.
Our process is simple and takes just a few minutes of your time. We encourage you to join our mission, share this service with your family and friends, and do all you can to celebrate and protect the planet. Together we are making an impact!"
