I Think I Finally Won

I think it happened.

It is finally over (maybe).

RedPlum coupons have not been on my doorstep the past 3 Tuesdays. The first Tuesday it was not there, I figured it to be a fluke. The second Tuesday, I got more hopeful. And the third Tuesday, made me feel triumphant!

Victory!

This was not an easy victory, as I highlighted previously multiple times. It came at a price of being so consistently persistent that I vowed to tweet at the Chicago Tribune every week until it stopped showing up on my doorstep. Something no other sane Chicagoan would put themselves through.

I started on this journey back in January and tracked every piece of it.

• January 9: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 9: Emailed insideshopper@chicagotribune.com to have our address removed
• January 9: Received automated email response “Thank you for contacting the Chicago Tribune Inside Shopper department – your email is important to us. Please expect a response within 24 hours.”
• January 10: Did not hear back in 24 hours.
• January 11: A Twitter follower suggested using an online form to unsubscribe. I filled out the form.
• January 16: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 23: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 30: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 6: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 13: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 20: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 22: Called the number listed to be removed and was told it would take 2-3 weeks.
• February 27: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 6: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 13: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 20: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 20: Called again to be removed and asked if it would take 2-3 weeks, they said no.
• March 26: Direct messaged RedPlum on Twitter
• March 27: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 27: RedPlum responded to my Twitter message, saying: “Thank you. Your address was removed from our distribution list on 1/12/18. We are contacting the Chicago Tribune, who handles delivery in your area, to make them aware of the delivery error.”
• April 3: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep, called and tweeted at the Chicago Tribune

• April 10: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep, called and tweeted at the Chicago Tribune. This time, they told me they would tell the delivery people that I have already called multiple times.

• April 17: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep, called and tweeted at the Chicago Tribune

• April 17: Received a reply to my tweet from a Chicago Tribune digital editor

• April 19: Got a voicemail from Chicago Tribune customer service referencing my tweets. When I called back it was just the same number I had been calling for weeks. I asked for the representative who had left the voicemail (Lillian), the person on the phone could not get her.
• April 24: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep, called and tweeted at the Chicago Tribune

• April 25: Got another call from Lillian about my tweets. She asked for my address again (I have literally given it to them 25 times by now). She did inquire if I was the owner of the building because technically if RedPlum is being delivered to a building with multiple units, it is the owner who would have to go through this horrendous process. I assured her that no, I was not the owner, no one in my building wants it, and there was no way the owner would slave away at this. Lillian said she would follow up with the distributor and to allow 1-2 weeks for service to stop.
• May 1: Did not receive
• May 8: Did not receive
• May 15: Did not receive

So maybe, just maybe, I have won the battle with RedPlum and InsideShopper. I did not want to get too excited the first week it didn’t show, but I am hoping 3 weeks in a row means this has finally come to an end.

Thank goodness I succeeded because we are about to move! Fingers crossed our new building doesn’t get it or I am going to have to start all over. At least my current neighbors can thank me for ridding them of such unnecessary waste!

Persistence: The Key To Getting Rid of Mail You Don’t Want

RedPlum you strike again!

Ugh, I hate walking out my door and every Tuesday this evil red bag is just sitting there, waiting to be tossed directly into the recycling.

This isn’t the first time I have spoken out about RedPlum. Back in January I finally tried to get rid of it once and for all and two months later they are still showing up on my doorstep.

Here is a detailed look at where we are so far:

• January 9: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 9: Emailed insideshopper@chicagotribune.com to have our address removed
• January 9: Received automated email response “Thank you for contacting the Chicago Tribune Inside Shopper department – your email is important to us. Please expect a response within 24 hours.”
• January 10: Did not hear back in 24 hours.
• January 11: A Twitter follower suggested using an online form to unsubscribe. I filled out the form.
• January 16: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 23: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• January 30: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 6: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 13: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 20: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• February 22: Called the number listed to be removed and was told it would take 2-3 weeks.
• February 27: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 6: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 13: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 20: Received an InsideShopper/RedPlum on my doorstep
• March 20: Called again to be removed and asked if it would take 2-3 weeks, they said no.

And here we are.

Every Tuesday that red bag appears on my doorstep, I make a note of it on my phone.

Hopefully someday soon I will be able to write a blog post about how I successfully got unwanted coupons to stop from showing up at my door.

Fingers crossed.

No, I Don’t Want Your Coupons

Hey Chicagoans,

Have you ever come home to one of these at your doorstep?

The bright red bag of the Chicago Tribune Inside Shopper/RedPlum shows up on our stoop every week, every month, I don’t even know, but it is always there.

Inside are a bunch of coupon circulars for our whole building that no one ever touches. The bag o’ coupons usually sits on the stoop for days or weeks. Maybe it makes it inside into the vestibule, but no one wants it, so no one touches it.

Eventually, the bag of papers disappears. Someone caved and threw it out or maintenance picked it up. I will never know.

The point here is that these coupons are unwanted and they keep coming to be instantly (or many weeks later) tossed in the trash can.

If I am the one to cave and pick it up, I will recycle it, but what about all those other houses out there who immediately throw it into the landfill?

Finally fed up with these things, I actually took a look at that red bag and it said:

“For service inquiries or if you do not want this product delivered to you, please call 1-800-874-2863 or email us at insideshopper@chicagotribune.com.”

Apparently, I could have called long ago to get these to stop, but I just assumed like most of the local mailings, you couldn’t get out of it.

I am not the first one to be pissed off by these stupid red bags of coupons. See here, here, here and here. Someone even sued the Tribune about unwanted delivery even after multiple attempts to be removed.

Anyway, I sent an email off to Inside Shopper, we shall see what happens…

Paper: Compost or Recycle?

A while ago, a friend asked me which was better, composting paper or recycling it.

That is a really good question that required me to do a bit of research.

And the answer is that it depends.

Paper is not infinitely recyclable (unlike glass), it’s fibers eventually degrade in quality after being recycled 5-7 times. Printer and office paper require strong fibers, so its fibers have only been recycled a couple times. Newspaper, wrapping paper, and tissue paper, on the other hand, can use lower quality fibers.

Here is what should be recycled and what should be composted and in what situation:

Recycle

• Glossy magazines, advertisements, and catalogs (these are more likely to contain toxic additives you won’t want in our compost if you are using it to grow produce)
• Office paper
• Sticky notes

In general, paper that is of higher quality should be recycled so that it can be used again, thus saving resources compared to virgin paper production.

Compost

• Paper products that are soiled with food waste, like napkins, paper towels, and paper plates (they can’t be recycled anyway)
• Newspaper
• Tissues
• Brown paper bags with food stains from takeout
• Greasy pizza box
• Shredded paper (even if it is shredded office paper, it cannot be recycled)

As for composting, it is better to add lower quality paper that is less likely to be recycled. In addition, adding paper is good for the health of your compost pile, helps keep it from being smelly, and absorbs water.

Unfortunately, some paper products can’t be recycled or composted and have to be reused or ultimately end up in the trash can.

Landfill

• Plastic coated paper products like coffee cups
• Glittery, glossy, and metallic wrapping paper
• Glittery tissue paper

So there you go!

There are some other things to remember though.

1. When buying paper products, opt for post-consumer recycled content to save as many trees as possible. There needs to be a demand for it!
2. Soley composting high-quality paper keeps those good fibers from the production stream, meaning there is less recycled paper to work with, also meaning more virgin resources being used.

 

Resources

• http://www.greenhome.com/blog/recycle-or-compost-paper-products
• https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/because-you-asked-when-should-i-compost-paper-instead-of-recycling-it
• https://earth911.com/home-garden/composting-recycling-compare/
• https://www.recyclebycity.com/chicago/guide

No Need for Pretty Wrapping Paper

You won’t find rolls of pretty wrapping paper in this house.

Wrapping paper and gift wrap for me include a pile of the Trib’s comics section.

And a bag full of gift bags and tissue paper that was previously given to me.

If I am handing you a present in a gift bag,  there is a 100% chance that it was given to me by someone else.

It is just silly to pay for something that is going to get ripped up and thrown out! Thus why I ranted about it last Christmas too.

I get it. That cohesive look of presents wrapped in a glossy wrapping is Pinterest worthy.

But what I do not get is why anyone would throw out a perfectly good gift bag. They can be used infinitely until they rip!

I keep every single one I receive. And every one will be used again. And hopefully again (I am looking at you people I am giving gifts to! Do your duty!).