Low-impact living: Some kinds of waste are less obvious than others. Phone calls, for example, from people you don't want to speak to, selling things you don't want to buy - usually when you are about to have your dinner.
There's quite a bit of waste right there: of your time and their time, and of the resources of the company that is paying them to make the calls. There's stress involved, too: which of us has not struggled to remain polite on the phone, only to explode with frustration the moment the receiver is back on its cradle?
It's remarkably easy put a stop to these calls (at least those that emanate from within this country). Just ring your phone company's customer-service line and say you don't want to receive any more marketing calls. Your preference will be recorded on the National Directory Database, and within about two weeks you should be able to have dinner in peace.
Junk mail is a more conspicuous form of waste, but unfortunately it's not so simple to stop. There's no way to prevent unaddressed flyers from the pizza parlour or health club plopping onto your mat, unless you block up the letter box, or invest in a "No Hawkers or Circulars" sign. However, much of the unsolicited stuff that is personally addressed to you is generated from databases held by large marketing companies, and it is now possible to have your name added to a register of people who don't wish to receive personalised mailings. The Mailing Preference Service is operated by the Irish Direct Marketing Association (call 01-8304752 for a form, or download it from www.dublinwaste.ie/block_junk_mail.html.
This won't stop junk mail from outside Ireland, nor from businesses that you already deal with. To put an end to their marketing bumf clogging up your recycling bin, you need to contact each firm individually.
Constant vigilance is necessary to prevent further unwanted waste paper tumbling in your door. For example, every time you fill out a form with your name and address (say for a subscription, or when seeking information on a product), look for a teeny-weeny notice way off in some obscure corner that starts off something like this: "From time to time we make your details available . . ." Make sure to put a resounding tick in the box that indicates you don't wish to hear from them or anybody else. Address harvesting is big business, so you need to make sure that yours is winnowed from the crop.