Recycling Junk Mail

By K.G.G. (Guest Post)

Put the paper throught your shredder (that you use to help prevent identity theft.) Boil the paper, watching it carefully, stirring so it gets mushy. Open the windows because of the inks!. Drain out as much water as you can. You can press it against the boiling pot to get alot of water out. Add a generous dolop of wallpaper paste. I used a type for borders that was extra strong. I think it may have had some acrylics in it. Mash it up into a good pulp you can form. Put saran wrap over an inverted large salad bowl and form blobs of the pulp over it to make a mask. Poke holes for eyes and mouth. Form a nose. poke a hole on each side for a string or ribbon. It may take a week to dry. Paint with any handy paint.

By nailfanatic (Guest Post)

Do you have to pay postage when you use a business envelope to mail your own mail?

By Jen (Guest Post)

Thanks! These were very interesting ideas!

By Annie (Guest Post)

I send the junk mail back in their envelope as well as what ever else I can fit in there. I pack it so tightly that they have to pay the extra postage.
Whether it works or not is no longer my problem.
I normally get one envelope so filled that I have to tape it closed. Makes me feel good to recycle like this.

By

biffy62

I save the envelopes from junk mail to use for mailing my own letters in. I make up labels using, Avery address labels on my printer. My design has a tree on the left side and across the top is my return address with a little saying underneath that says
Re-use Envelopes-Save Our Forests.
I haven't purchases envelopes or return address labels in years. If you have a recurring mailing you can even print out the whole address on the sticky labels to save time.

By

burn55

If I get a bill with many flyers for items for sale, When I send in the bill to company I send them back all the ads............sure they dont like that and will get the idea not to send all that junk
Laverne

By Laura (Guest Post)

The shiny paper, that might come in some mail, can be rolled into paper beads

By

Debbie52

I save those return envelopes to use to send lunch, milk and field trip money to my children's schools. I sometimes use to write a grocery list on the back and put my coupons inside. I've also used to protect photos of the kids when handing out to relatives.

By

ThriftyFun

When there is a prepaid envelope, enclose the letter with your name and address on it with a Note: Remove my name from your mailing list. It will "cost the company money" to receive it. That sends a better message to the company, especially when enough people do it!

By Syd

By

ThriftyFun

We reuse as much of our junk mail as possible. Anything printed only on one side we reuse for toddler art, etc. All forms and stickers go into the preschoolers "school" box. Some paper is used to pack things for mailing or storage, shredded to cushion gifts, etc. The rest is taken to the recycling center.

- JulieBeth

By rich51 (Guest Post)

I use the prepaid return envelopes to send a request back to the sender to be removed from their mailing list. If I receive a 2nd mailing from the company, I send back a request marked "2nd Notice". I do this religiously for a couple months 2times a year and it seems to work well.

By

ThriftyFun

I save envelopes junk mail comes in and use it to stash my coupons and shopping list when heading to the grocery store.

By Becki in Indiana