Ordinary paper isn't as big of a problem as plastic waste on the surface, because it's biodegradable. However, it still impacts the environment.
It's always a problem when a company creates unnecessary printouts or sends excessive mail — especially when the recipient can't get it to stop.
What happened?
One Redditor recently posted a photo on the r/mildlyinfuriating forum of a huge stack of letters. "Company won't stop sending mail to our address. 24 pieces today alone," they complained.
According to the Redditor, they've done everything they can reasonably do to stop the flood of letters, which aren't even being sent to the right house.
"They've been sending mail to one of their customers at our address for the past five years," they said. "We've done the whole 'return to sender' thing so many times. We've called multiple times. I'm so tired of getting these massive stacks of mail."
Why does the paper waste matter?
Obviously, having your mailbox stuffed with someone else's junk mail is frustrating in and of itself. It's even worse knowing how much paper is going to waste. Paper takes lots of energy and water to make, and since it's made out of wood pulp, it can take a heavy toll on the world's trees, too.
This Redditor isn't the only one struggling with persistent and excessive mail. One Swedish homeowner seems to have been the subject of a serious computer glitch in the country's postal system.
What is Voya Financial doing about its paper waste?
While Voya's paper mail may seem excessive in this case, the firm claims that its overall use has dropped dramatically in recent years. As part of its move toward more efficient and eco-friendly operations, it began tracking paper usage.
Compared to the 558 tons of paper the company says it used in 2007, 2022 saw only 21 tons of paper used, representing a 96% reduction. While there's clearly still some room for improvement, eliminating 24 out of every 25 pages printed is no small feat.
What can you do to reduce paper waste?
Commenters offered some new options for getting a company to stop sending mail. "Set up mail forwarding under that name with your address and send it back to them," said one user.
"Get a cease and desist from a lawyer," said another Redditor.
You can also opt out of many types of junk mail and catalogs using websites like DMAchoice, OptOutPrescreen.com, and CatalogChoice.org.
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