Every day, residents across the country receive thousands of tons of junk mail. Most of this is never even opened! All material received
in your mailbox can be recycled in the County’s commingled recycling program, with the exception of product samples.

Consider the following statistics:

• Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year.
  
• Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail.
  
• 250,000 homes could be heated with one day's supply of junk mail.
• If you saved all of the junk mail you'll receive this year, you would have the equivalent of 1 1/2 trees.
• The average American spends 8 full months of his life just opening junk mail.
• Each year over $320,000,000 is spent to cart junk mail to incinerators and landfills.

How can I stop getting junk mail?

How can I recycle junk mail?

How much of my trash is paper?

If you have any questions, please contact the County Public Works Department, Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division,
at (805) 882-3600.

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Copyright © 2000 Santa Barbara County Public Works Department
Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division

Last updated: March 26, 2008