Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Junk Mail

Doorside Junk-Mail Bin
  (+9)(+9)
(+9)
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What about paper recyclers supplying small boxs, with Junk Mail written on them, for people to put by the side of their door. On average I get about 15 items of junk mail a week, I reckon I could fill a small box in a month or so... I know people who get a lot more than this...

This might seem like a baked idea, but a lot of people fail to recycle because of forgetfullness or laziness... However, if you could get people to pick up their mail from the doorstep, and immediately sift out the junk and put it straight into the bin, not only would you be doing your bit to help recycling, you'd be empowering people who feel the need to open said mail, knowing full well that it contains only credit card offers or other bumf.

Obviously, the paper recyclers would have to collect, but if they posted a single piece of paper on the day or the day before they were coming, the householder could put that paper straight into the box, and place the box on the doorstep - so all paper expended could be recovered and reused.

This ought to get people into the idea of recycling, perhaps prompting them to start putting other paper or newspaper into the box too... its all in the head I reckon. As a lot of these recycling companies recycle to raise money for charity as well, a logo of the charity, or even a tick list on the top of the box could sort the money to go to a specific charity.

Danzarak, Feb 25 2002

(?) Mailbox shredder http://bz.pair.com/fun/mail_shred.html
[7 months later] I drew this for this idea but just never bothered to link it. Sorry for being so tardy. [bristolz, Oct 01 2002]

[link]






       My recyclable paper (including newspapers and junk-mail) is collected from outside my front gate every Tuesday morning by a local company. They also recycle the plastic supermarket carrier bags in which we are encouraged to pack our paper.
angel, Feb 25 2002
  

       Where abouts do you live? I live in West Yorkshire, UK, and you they dont offer recycling services.   

       Also, my idea wasnt necessarily about the act of recycling, but more about getting people who dont already recycle, to do so in an easy to remember and operate way.
Danzarak, Feb 25 2002
  

       Add to it a shredder so that I can put in there the 456,578 "you're approved for a credit card" thingies I get a week.
bristolz, Feb 25 2002
  

       Me too. I'm about halfway to taking all 45 of them I get in a day, running them up to their max and declaring bankruptcy to give all of them the finger..
StarChaser, Feb 25 2002
  

       Maybe a shredder slot mounted right on the side of the mailbox . . . .
bristolz, Feb 25 2002
  

       I'm waiting to see what comes after "Titanium" on Credit Card Scale of Elements.
thumbwax, Feb 25 2002
  

       Our post office in town has a receptacle by the door for people to drop their junk mail into before they leave the building. (A lot of us in town have P.O.Boxes.) Recycling - and the stuff never even makes it to your door.
TeaTotal, Feb 25 2002
  

       Maybe rhodium, TW?  After that, perhaps the rare earth elements.
bristolz, Feb 26 2002
  

       [thumbwax]: You haven't got a Plutonium Card yet? You don't know what you're missing...
snarfyguy, Feb 26 2002
  

       ¯UnaBubba cornered the market on your element, there: unobtainium.
reensure, Feb 26 2002
  

       (I had an unnilhexium card, but it decayed.)   

       My apartment building has its mixed-paper recycle bin right next to the building's mailboxes for this very reason. Open mailbox, tip junkmail into recycle bin, take remaining mail to apartment.
wiml, Feb 26 2002
  

       THis is actually a Busta Rhymes joke... I got ridda all my platinum cards... and I got me a Uranium card.   

       Thanks for the positive feedback on this one guys... do think that the association of picking your junk off the doorstep, and placing it directly in the box would get a lot of people working.
Danzarak, Feb 26 2002
  

       [Danzarak]: In answer to your question way up there ___^, Darlington.
angel, Feb 26 2002
  

       I wish we had a local company that would do it for us.. though the bin men ought to really! Darlington must be ahead of the game....
Danzarak, Feb 26 2002
  

       Not really. This is a private company, not the local authority. They can only just manage to collect domestic refuse.
angel, Feb 26 2002
  

       "Gold" card, "Platinum" card, "Silver" card. Heaven forbid they actually call it a "Plastic" card.
AfroAssault, Apr 22 2002
  

       Once they run out of elements (fancy an einsteinium card, anyone) they'll just go onto compounds. Get your new potassium chloride card today!   

       Then they'll move onto Norse gods or something.
dbmag9, Jul 06 2006
  

       http://bz.pair.com/ Seems gone
popbottle, Dec 26 2014
  

       I'm pretty sure the idea/practise of using a separate shelf, slot or mailbox, labelled "Bulk", has been around longer than this post.
FlyingToaster, Dec 26 2014
  
      
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