Advertising in the mailbox: Financial expert explains how consumers can avoid waste

Advertising in the mailbox: Financial expert explains how consumers can avoid waste

According to a report by www.merkur.de,

German Environmental Aid is calling for an end to unwanted mailbox advertising because it creates large amounts of waste. The consumer advice center explains how consumers can avoid them.

According to German Environmental Aid, around 26 billion unaddressed advertising brochures end up in German households every year, which leads to huge amounts of unnecessary waste. This creates large amounts of waste, wasted resources and a massive contribution to climate change. The DLH has calculated that unwanted advertising could be avoided nationwide. According to research by Deutsche Umwelthilfe, 407,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents could be saved - that would mean an annual consumption of around 39,000 people. In addition, in addition to the “massive consumption of water, energy and chemicals, up to 847,000 trees would be felled” for the advertising mail produced in Germany alone.

German Environmental Aid therefore demands that trade and industry stop the unsolicited delivery of brochures and use digital alternatives to prevent unnecessary waste. However, the consumer advice center warns that simply putting a “no advertising” sign on the mailbox is not always enough. She also recommends disclosing less information when contacting companies and making use of the right to object if unwanted advertising still ends up in the mailbox.

Overall, a legal change regarding unwanted mailbox advertising could benefit both consumers and the environment.