This represents 7.4 billion pounds of junk mail. Individually, an average of 41 pounds are sent to every adult. Junk mail is not very recyclable. Heavy metals in colored inks do not degrade and eventually re-enter the environment. There is an environmental impact simply mailing all this mail around, primarily via motor vehicles.
Mail trucks operate inefficiently, making constant starts and stops.
After delivery, junk mail must still make at least one more trip to either a landfill, incinerator, or recycling center. The environmental impact of ceaseless advertising of consumer products is the creation of a materialistic culture in which possession of consumer goods replaces human social interactions and spiritual development. There is no end to this materialistic spiral. People who define themselves by what they own will always desire that one new product, or replacements for all their old products, placing a continual demand on the environment. Junk Mail as a Privacy Issue Privacy is a major concern, even to the average person.