Stop Junk Mail

Stop Junk Mail is a not-for-profit junk mail advice service. This website provides free, independent, and objective information about stopping unsolicited mail.

How to stop junk mail

Junk mail is a pest. It's a wasteful, outdated and rude form of advertising, and one that's surprisingly difficult to eradicate. To be sure, it's possible to ban junk mail from your life, and it won't cost you anything. But… it's going to take some time and effort.

Depending on how much time you want to spend cutting back on junk mail you can do the following:

If you just want to know how to stop a particular type of junk mail you should try the Wishing Tree. By answering a few questions about the junk mail that's bothering you the Wishing Tree can tell you how to stop it.
If you want to quickly get opt-out forms for various junk mail opt-out services and/or cancel paper directories such as the Yellow Pages you might like the Junk Buster widget.
If you're determined to ban junk mail from your life completely you should make yourself a cup of coffee and read the Guide to Stamping Out Junk Mail. It's a bit of read but following the steps in the Guide will reduce unwanted mail to just the odd leaflet.
If you have any specific questions about (stopping) junk mail you may want to consult Dr Junk Buster.

What's happening on Planet Junk Mail

The 'Tick off' petition will close at the end of this month and we got two new pages on this site: one with information about getting involved and one to sell Mini Junk Mail Hampers.

An illustration of a professor looking into a microscope. By Eloise O'Hare, (c) 2011. — "Dr Junk Buster has discovered an opt-out box."

'Tick off' petition

If you're fed up with having to search the small print for opt-out boxes every time you give your name and address to a potential junk mailer you should quickly sign the 'Tick off' petition. I'll be closing the petition at the end of this month.

The petition calls for a ban on the junk mail opt-out box. If marketeers want to use our personal details they should present us with an opt-in box. It's a simple change that would prevent people from unwittingly giving marketeers permission to send them junk mail and sell their personal details to anonymous list brokers. It's an idea that makes a lot of sense… but it will only happen if you sign the petition!

Join the battle against junk mail

If you want to do more than just signing a petition I got good news for you - Stop Junk Mail is now looking for people who can help with everything from doing research to editing videos. Information about how to get involved can be found on the page called Information about getting involved.