As recycling is becoming a pretty mainstream activity, now is time to expand our thinking and start looking at Waste Reduction more seriously. By reducing waste we save huge amounts of energy and help conserve the world's precious resources.

A good place to start? Unwanted mail or junk mail as it is popularly called. The demand for paper to produce this tide of unwanted rubbish in the UK is having severe consequences for the world's forests. But it is easy to stop. Just contact the Mail Preference Service (online) or via post to: Freepost 22, London W1 7EZ (no stamp needed). List the names of people in your household with your address and postcode and request that you receive no more unsolicited mail. Its as simple as that.

It will take a few weeks for the junk mail to dry up completely, but it will. After a year or so you may notice it begin to creep in again slowly. If so just contact MPS again and renew your request. Also request at your local main post office sorting office (in our case Crediton) that your address be listed as not wanting to receive the unaddressed mail delivered by your postman.You could remind the postman too. Tell your neighbours and friends about this. Lets stop junk mail in its tracks.

Please send us your ideas for other ways to reduce waste at source. Thank you.