One of the simplest ways to support Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production is to prevent waste before it begins.
Unwanted mail is easy to ignore.
But it isn’t harmless.
Every flyer, catalog, and promotional letter represents trees cut, water used, energy consumed, and emissions released — long before it reaches a mailbox.
Most of it is never asked for.
Why this matters
Paper production is one of the most resource-intensive manufacturing processes in the world.
- According to industry data cited by ecoinvent (based on FAO “Pulp and Paper” statistics), over 400 million tonnes of paper and paperboard were produced globally in 2022, reflecting the vast scale of global paper use and its environmental footprint. (Source: Ecoinvent – pulp and paper)
- The World Bank identifies paper and cardboard as a major component of global municipal solid waste, especially in urban areas (Source: The World Bank – What a waste 2.0)
- The pulp and paper industry has a substantial ecological footprint: large volumes of water are used in production, energy is consumed throughout manufacturing stages, and greenhouse gas emissions are associated with powering mills and processing materials.
(Source: World Wild Life)
Even when unwanted mail is recycled, the environmental costs of production, printing, and transport have already occurred.
Reducing waste before it is created is one of the most effective ways to support Sustainable Development Goal 12.
The small action
Opt out of unsolicited mail at the source — once.
Set aside 10 minutes to remove your name from default marketing and advertising lists.
In most countries, this can be done by:
- Registering with a national or regional “do not mail” or advertising preference service
- Using consumer data-protection or privacy portals
- Cancelling catalogs and promotional senders directly at the list level
This action doesn’t stop all mail — it stops the mail you never asked for.
How this helps
When fewer people are automatically included in mailing lists:
- Less paper is printed
- Less energy is used in manufacturing and transport
- Less waste enters municipal systems
According to environmental assessments, waste prevention delivers greater environmental benefits than recycling alone, particularly for paper products
(Source: European Environment Agency)
This is exactly the kind of upstream change SDG 12 is designed to encourage.
Make it stick
Mailing systems update in cycles. Add one reminder in 2–3 months to remove any new senders that appear.
After that, the reduction usually maintains itself.
Small action. Global impact.
You don’t need to recycle more perfectly.
You don’t need to read every disclaimer.
Sometimes the most powerful sustainability action is making sure the waste never exists at all.
