Millions of pieces of junk mail fill mailboxes nationwide every year, and most of it is never even read. While exact figures for Taiwan are difficult to come by, US statistics show that the average person receives 18.6kg of junk mail per year, which on a national scale is the equivalent of 100 million trees. Paper production — especially for junk mail — is particularly harmful to the environment because it is such a short-lived product, unlike furniture or hardwood flooring, the report says. Increased use of recycled paper is also a positive change, but if trees are cut down elsewhere to make this paper, the impact on the planet remains. There are also environmental consequences in printing and distributing junk mail.

Source: Taipei Times January 18, 2020 15:56 UTC