to put the junk mail delivered by Royal Mail back in the postbox?

[RapunzelStyle]

Today I received a veritable PILE of crap through the door from the postman. Adverts, flyers, brochures, takeaway menus. Plus a whole bunch of political propaganda as well. To add insult to injury, the one piece of addressed mail was actually CLEARLY addressed to the lady next door! I am aware that by law the political crap has to be delivered but would I be unreasonable to post all the other crap back into the postbox?

There were actually TWO of everything - one through the door and one just left outside the door on the mat. And that has happened twice now, ever since I put up a sign saying "no junk mail" so is the postman taking the piss? And yes, I know it was the postman as one bundle included the forementioned addressed mail and the other bundle was otherwise identical. I have now filled in one of those forms from Royal Mail opting out of junk mail but this apparently takes 8 weeks to take effect. I also suspect it will actually have sod all effect.

So mumsnetters:
a) should i post the crap back in the postbox;
b) can I decline deliveries and say go once a week to the post office to pick up only the mail I am willing to accept? How would I do this?

Yes, I am aware this is a first world problem but I find it quite intrusive to have mountains of crap put in my home every day which I then have to pay council tax to have recycled!

In fact, can it be right that the postman can put things through my door without my consent? What if I just declare my letterbox out of order and tape it up?

Very hormonal today. Thanks in advance.

[KinkyAfro]

It's a pain in the arse I agree but you'd still have to pay council tax regardless

[RapunzelStyle]

But presumably if everyone had less recycling cos of less junk mail then council tax should in theory be lower?

[Flashbangandgone]

Wtf has council tax got to do with this?!?

[Flashbangandgone]

Ok, sorry I see... perhaps it would be better for there to be a levy on mail shots that was passed to councils to pay for the extra recycling they generate.

[Sparklingbrook]

Put it in the recycling, and put a sign on the letter box 'no junk mail'. The recycling collection will come whatever is in the bin.

All your solutions sound hard work.

[Flashbangandgone]

But how is the postman/woman meant to make that judgement on what is and isn't junk. Ok, some would be pretty obvious (pizza menus etc) but lots of junk is posted in 'normal' packaging.

[RapunzelStyle]

My door already has a sign on it saying "no junk mail". And now they are giving me 2 sets of everything. So I think they are taking the piss!

[RapunzelStyle]

Perhaps my sign should say "only mail addressed to RapunzelStyle please".

[Flashbangandgone]

The recycling collection will come whatever is in the bin.

The collection costs may be the same, but the disposal costs won't be.

[KinkyAfro]

My sign on my door says addressed mail only, that's all I get apart from local newspaper

[BespokeStereophonicVinyl]

Why don't you just opt out of the junk mail?

[LifeofI]

I have a no junk mail sign on my door, still get junk mail.
Its very irritating

[SaucyJack]

We regularly receive junk mail advertising stuff like conservatories and tree surgery.

We live in a first floor flat.

Somebody is thick, and is wasting my time and their money posting this shit through my letterbox.

[LineyReborn]

Local waste authority disposal contract costs are normally signed up for some years in advance.

Paper and cardboard that is recycled is sold on according to the current market cost (or a contract cost agreed in advance) by either the council itself or the council's contractor.

Some recycled items can actually turn a profit for the disposer, depending on the market.

So tetrapaks for example - massive loss.

Paper - depends on the market, but not bad.

Metal - get in there.

[thelonelyhamster]

Putting the non-addressed leaflets into a postbox just makes more work and is a complete pita for the poor sod who has to empty it... don't do that, it would be punishing someone who has no control over the situation.

Opt out using the Royal Mail form (as you already said you've done) and then once that's all set up call up and complain anytime the leaflets arrive.

[Pilgit]

Non addressed junk mail is a big money spinner for royal mail. It's annoying the quantity that arrives but there really are bigger things to get wound up about.

[Loqo]

As Bespoke has already mentioned you just have to opt out. It works.

[clam]

I put it in the post box when I'm feeling particularly arsey about it which is quite often. If Royal Mail are being paid to deliver this crap, then they can use those millions to deal with it back.

I wonder if anyone, anywhere has ever actually used any contact from junk mail?

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

Get some cheap envelopes and post it back to the company without a stamp.

[Ughnotagain]

What thelonelyhamster said.

Though be aware that if anything is addressed directly to you, or even to 'The Occupier', they have to deliver it. Which means you'll still get all those lovely mailings from Virgin Media...

[Bellygirl]

I work for RM and have to deliver the junk mail. It's an annoying extra workload but just part of the job. I don't know why people get so annoyed at receiving it, just throw it in the bin??? Or opt out. Putting it back in the post box isn't really going to have much affect as the person collecting from it likely won't have been the one who delivered it and also probably wouldn't even notice it as when I've emptied boxes I just tip the letters out into a bag and don't take notice of what's there. I always ignore 'no junk mail' stickers on peoples doors unless they have opted out. I once had a woman open her door and angrily throw a load of the leaflets at me...I don't really know what that achieved as she then just had a bunch of rubbish in her garden

[howtorebuild]

The opt out link don't work.

[faintlyoptimistic]

I went through a rage-y phase of scrawling 'Return to sender - please remove my details from your database. I did not request this' on junk mail and putting it in the postbox.

No idea if it made the slightest bit of difference but made me happy.

[RapunzelStyle]

Belly - we get annoyed because it is an intrusion into our homes. Because it requires effort to separate piles of crap from the real mail and into the recycling. Because it is a waste of trees. And the energy and money it costs for the binmen to take it away.

Maybe if more of us started putting it back in the postbox it WOULD have an effect.

I know it's "superior orders" but don't you feel bad about ignoring people's wishes about what comes through THEIR LETTERBOX into THEIR HOME?

[NotAWhaleOmeletteInSight]

YANBU. I do this.