I get a lot of catalogs. It got so bad over the holidays that my mailman had to ring my doorbell almost daily because he couldn’t fit the enormous stash of unsolicited catalogs in my mailbox. Often they go straight from the mailman’s hands into my recycling bin. There are a few—maybe one in ten—that I love. I get a little thrill when my rare books catalog or a few select style catalogs arrive in the mail. I’ll either set them aside to read later when I have time to fully enjoy, or I’ll make a fresh cup of tea and take a thoroughly enjoyable catalog break. I thumb through them for ideas and inspiration, and rarely, if ever, make a purchase. Apparently, I’m not alone.

There are nineteen billion catalogs mailed to American consumers every year and less than 2 percent of all catalogs sent out each year lead to a sale. Nineteen billion catalogs = fifty-three million trees and 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. After hearing these stats, I decided that instead of tutting and cursing every Wednesday night when I put out my recyclables, I’d stop this waste. I went online to catalogchoice.org, a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. You simply select which catalogs in their comprehensive database you’d rather not receive, and they contact the businesses in question. Businesses save money and I can reduce my mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources. It takes up to ten weeks.

I’m wondering now if I will still receive a little thrill when I receive even my few favorite catalogs—especially when I know the impact on the environment … and that I could easily make my cup of tea and go online for my catalog break.