Saturday, June 09, 2007

Junk Mail Be Gone!

I am sick and tired of getting stupid useless junk mail pamphlets in the mail from companies such as Enbridge, Bell Canada, Telus Mobility, and the like. In retaliation, my other half and I have embarked on a letter-writing campaign to target these mass offenders. Our first victim is Enbridge. Below is the letter that we e-mailed to them tonight. If I hear back, I will be sure to post the reply.
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To: ombudsman@enbridge.com
Enbridge Gas Distribution - The Office of the Ombudsman,

I received my gas bill today from Enbridge and was shocked to realize the amount of "junk mail" that is included in the envelope. I would think that Enbridge would be concerned about the environment and the amount of waste that goes into sending out these types of materials every time they send out a bill.

Included in the envelope for my gas bill:
- My actual gas bill (1 page) - This is the one document that I actually want for my records
- An envelope for sending in my payment - I don't need this, I pay via online banking so it goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "A natural gas water heater. Plenty of hot water. Plenty of savings." - This goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "Get a new air conditioner for as low as $49.99" - This goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "Will your air conditioner keep its cool for another summer?" - This goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "Natural Gas: Important spring safety tips" - This goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "Loose 20 lbs this summer!" - This goes straight to the recycle bin
- A pamphlet entitled "Finding a qualified natural gas contractor has just become easier - This goes straight to the recycle bin

So it appears to me that only ~12.5% of what is stuffed into my "Gas bill" envelope that I receive from Enbridge is actually my gas bill, and the remainder of it is essentially "Junk Mail" that could easily be posted to the enbridge web site and just have a reference URL on my 1 page bill. When we multiply this by all of Enbridge's customers, I am overwhelmed by images of all of the forests being cut down simply so that these "junk mail" materials can be thrown into recycle bins (and I'm sure many people still don't recycle and are just throwing them into the garbage).

I'd like to point out that the bill that I received today is not a unique case, every bill I have received from Enbridge has been like this. In today's situation of the world having to be very careful of its environmental footprint, I would expect that utility companies like Enbridge would be at the fore front of the battle that we are facing to save the earth. Items like "Corporate Responsibility" need to be more then just a section on a web site, they need to be items that companies truly work on at all levels including something as simple as the opportunity to reduce waste in the form of "Junk Mail".

So what am I looking for:
1. Please advise me on how we can make arrangements for me to receive a single envelope with my single-page gas bill in it (i.e. no additional junk). I realize that I can most likely get some sort of an electronic bill but I do like to receive a paper bill for my records via the post office; I just don't appreciate all of the "junk mail" that gets included.
2. I am looking for a response as to what Enbridge's view is on their own disregard for the environment. This type of waste has had its time in the past; we need to move into the future.

I look forward to your response.

IndyComp0T1 & Husband

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