I’ve just returned from a short break in my native Holland - the country of tulips, bicycles, cheese, clogs, dykes and 'No/Yes', 'No/No' letterbox stickers.
In 1993 a campaign against unaddressed junk mail organised by Friends of the Earth in the Netherlands led to a code outlining with which rules senders of junk mail should comply. The most visual expression of the code are the 'Ja/Nee' and 'Nee/Nee' letterbox stickers:
I started my career as a postman in the Netherlands, so of course it wasn't really a surprise to see the Dutch 'Yes/No', 'No/No' stickers everywhere. Also, it’s probably fair to say that I've become a little obsessed with 'no junk mail' stickers since I started the Stop Junk Mail Campaign; about half my holiday pictures show the stickers.
Still, it was encouraging to see a 'no junk mail' sign on about every second letter box. (And you do need a bit of encouragement from time to time when you're running a campaign!).
As the photos prove, the stickers really are a huge success in the Netherlands. They are available for free and from the outset the junk mail industry in the Netherlands has supported the sticker system. Contrary to many companies in the UK, most Dutch businesses seem to be of the opinion that it makes little sense to deliver advertisements to people who are not interested. By supporting the sticker system they are producing less leaflets to reach the same target group, thereby saving money and doing their bit for the environment.
Back to work then…
