Is unwanted mail wasting your time and filling your recycling bin? King County’s EcoConsumer program has a solution – a free online opt-out service for junk mail, operated by Catalog Choice.

The average household receives about 1,000 pieces of direct mail annually. Much of that mail is unwanted, and this op-out service can make a big impact on reducing that junk mail.

Since its launch in August 2011, this King County-hosted service has successfully processed more than 67,000 opt-out requests. Residents from Bothell to Enumclaw have signed up and are helping to avoid an estimated 350,000 pounds of paper waste and 990,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, mostly from paper production. That opt-out total does not include Seattle residents.

“Unwanted mail is not just a nuisance, it’s an economic and environmental burden,” said Tom Watson, King County EcoConsumer. “The more junk mail that’s sent out, the more resources are consumed to produce those mailings, and to collect and dispose of all the paper waste.”

Say “No!” to junk mail by visiting http://kingcounty.catalogchoice.org to opt out of thousands of different catalogs, coupons, credit offers, fliers, newsletters and phone books.

Catalog Choice contacts the mailers on your behalf and asks them to remove your name from their mailing lists. Most major mailers comply. An online dashboard shows the status of your requests.

Watson said King County is working with city governments across the County to publicize this free service to their residents.

The service is prominently featured on the King County EcoConsumer website at www.KCecoconsumer.com. This opt-out program is intended for all King County residents who live outside Seattle. The same service is available for Seattle residents at http://seattle.catalogchoice.org.

For more information about this program, contact Watson at 206-296-4481, or tom.watson@kingcounty.gov.