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Junk mail facts

Introduction

There is a lot of research into junk mail. Not a week goes by or the results of yet another study are published, usually 'proving' that we all just cannot get enough junk mail. Unsurprisingly, these studies are invariably paid for by the marketing industry. Similarly, a lot of (mainly American) commercial 'stop junk mail' schemes regularly commission research showing the exact opposite.

The result is that there is little independent data available. The facts on these pages should however be at least reasonably objective. The statistics mainly come from DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the Direct Mail Information Service 'Letterbox fact file'.

Quick facts

17.5 billion pieces of junk mail are produced every year in the UK. This includes both addressed and unaddressed junk mail.
To produce all this junk mail 550,000 tonnes of paper and 16.5 billion litres of water are used.
Over the last five years the overall volume of junk mail sent out has decreased slightly, by an estimated 0.2 per cent per year.
650 pieces of junk mail are posted through the average British letterbox every year.
On average 80 pieces of addressed junk mail are sent out to the 583,000 people who die every year in the UK following their death.
15 per cent of British households are registered with the Mailing Preference Service. Less than 0.5 per cent has opted out of receiving unaddressed junk mail delivered by Royal Mail.
The most common source for the creation of junk mail lists is the edited electoral register. Yet, only 40 per cent of voters have opted out of being on this version of the electoral roll.

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