A graphic of a doormat with mail on it and an in tray with letters in it

Episode 6 – Sorting Mail from Your Doormat to Your Intray

In today’s episode we will be discussing all the paperwork that lands on your doormat, comes in via school bags and work bags and how to deal with it. If you have a stack of papers in your kitchen, your hallway, your living room or on your desk, this is the episode for you.

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The trick is to stop paper clutter getting anywhere near your doormat. But how do I do that?

It’s surprising how much mail many of us still get in the modern digital world, but there’s an easy solution to that. Below are some of our simple tips to follow to reduce the amount of paperwork you will have to deal with going forward.

The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is a free service set up and funded by the direct mail industry. It enables consumers to have their names and addresses removed from lists used by the industry. Register to ensure you no longer receive any unwanted junk mail.


The MPS will cover most unwanted mailings. However,  what they can’t help with is companies that you’ve had dealings with in the past where you may not have ticked the ‘opt-out’ marketing boxes. As each new mailing comes through the door, contact the company requesting that they remove you from their mailing lists. It may take a little time initially but it'll be worth it.

You will also need to do this for any mailings addressed to “The Occupier”, “The Homeowner” etc. as MPS cannot assist with these.


Make sure you check any paperwork/online forms thoroughly for the ‘opt-out’ options. That will mean you are not contacted in the future by companies that you deal with.

Be sure to read the ‘Opt-Out’ correctly. Some companies ask you to tick to unsubscribe where others ask you to tick if you would like to receive marketing. This should have improved now we have General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU.


It can be a little harder to stop the general junk mail such as free newspapers, takeaway leaflets. But you can buy a sticker at very little cost that can be applied to your letterbox. This will be useful if these items are a particular nuisance in your local area.


If you are comfortable with getting your statements, notifications, etc. online then most companies nowadays will offer you the option to stop paper statements altogether. 


If you're interested in learning more about that pesky Junk Mail you can listen into our podcast on the same topic. Let us know how you get on in the comments below.

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