Junk Mail Begone!
August 7th, 2007 by Vihar ShethPosted in Environment, Ideas, Organizations
A friend of mine sent me an email regarding a site called GREENDIMES, which is the Internet face of a company focused on helping the environment by reducing junk mail. Essentially, they provide a service for a small fee that “reduces the credit card offers, insurance offers, sweepstakes offers, coupon mailers, charitable solicitations and retail catalogs that your household receives.” I signed up and will try to remember in about eight weeks to update readers on whether or not it seems to be working.
The schtick works like this: GREENDIMES registers and maintains the names of people in your household (and variations of names) on the Direct Marketing Association members’ mailing lists - all 3,600 of them! In addition, the company plants ten tree for every kit they sell. Not to shabby. I don’t know if there’s any sort of independent audit that verifies the tree planting but the company’s partnered with some large organizations in this effort. So, either there’s collusion or the trees are being planted. I’m optimistic.
I hope to find other inspiring business ideas like this in the future. I couldn’t find whether the company is a nonprofit, but either way, it’s a perfect example of successful social entrepreneurship, the latter half of which is not a foreign calling for much of the company’s board and staff.
4 Responses to “Junk Mail Begone!”
By Carolyn Brown on Aug 8, 2007
41pounds is another great service that does the leg-work to stop a household’s junk mail – and it is a nonprofit organization. 41pounds also donates more than 1/3 of the fee to its nonprofit partners such as StopGlobalWarming.org, American Forests and Habitat for Humanity (East Bay). I signed up a few months ago and it really works! It costs only $8.20 a year (2 cents a day). Check it out at http://www.41pounds.org.
By Kendra on Aug 13, 2007
Just wanted to say thanks for your post about GreenDimes! We really appreciate your taking the time to tell others about our company. Make sure you check in from time to time and see what new ideas we are working on to help make the world a better place. And make sure you let us know if you have any questions or concerns and we will get back to you right away. Take good care and thanks again for your post.
Best,
Kendra
GreenDimes
By Vihar Sheth on Aug 13, 2007
Kendra,
No worries, happy to do it. I’ll definitely contact you if I have any more questions or, if for some improbable reason, my junk mail doesn’t stop! Keep up the good work.
- Vihar Sheth