The Mail Preference Service cuts junk mail by about 95%

The group, called Planet Ark, co-founded by former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, also wants to increase the amount of junk mail that is recycled.

At present, 78,000 tonnes of junk mail ends up in UK landfill sites every year.

The Government and the direct mail industry watchdog has given its support to the initiative.

Mr Cash said: "Britons receive nearly 4 billion pieces of direct mail every year.

"Nearly a third of this mail is unread because it's irrelevant to the people who are receiving it.

"This new campaign will give people the choice as to whether they want to receive advertising mail or not."

Almost two-thirds of the public object to "direct mail" according to the Direct Mail Information Service and 38% find it "intrusive".

A third of junk mail is unread, claims Pat Cash

Much of the direct mail is ignored and �70m worth a year is wasted on people who have moved house.

The idea is that people should take control of the post they receive, encouraging only mail shots which are relevant to them by using the Mail Preference Service (MPS).

Already 1.2 million consumers have subscribed to the MPS which cuts their direct mail by about 95%.

The new initiative is designed to draw attention to the service so that more people will take advantage of it.

Recycling

The MPS helps to ensure that the direct mail consumers receive is welcome, while also helping the direct marketing industry to reduce its wastage.

Planet Ark hopes a combination of consumers using the MPS and recycling junk mail will reduce the amount of paper in landfill sites.

Pop singer and Planet Ark supporter Dannii Minogue said it was a positive move by the direct mail industry to reduce its impact on the environment.

"Everyone has a choice about what comes in their letterbox, and the Mailing Preference Service will allow people to do this," she said.

The Mail Preference Service (MPS) The Mailing Preference Service allows consumers to register, free of charge, to be removed from up to 95% of direct mail lists in the UK It helps the direct marketing industry to reduce wastage It does not include companies with whom a consumer has dealt with in the past, or unaddressed mail 35% of consumers are aware of the MPS, with 1.2m registered Consumers can register via the website www.mpsonline.org.uk or request an application form by phoning 0845 703 4599

"However, we also need to remember to recycle all of our unwanted post when we put our newspapers out for recycling."

Minogue's plea is backed by the UK's Environment Minister Elliot Morley.

Initiatives

"Thirteen per cent of direct mail is currently recycled, but the industry and Planet Ark are hoping to increase this to 30% by 2005," said Mr Morley.

"But to achieve this figure, we need everyone to put their unwanted post out for recycling along with their newspapers," he said.

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has lent his support to the campaign as part of the wider Recycle for London initiative launched in September.

"If we are to be serious about reducing the amount of waste that we send to landfill, then councils, industry, government and the public need to get involved with initiatives such as this," he said.

"Working together, we can make a real difference to the environment."

More than 50 local authorities nationally have already agreed to promote the waste reduction programme.