Stop that junk mail! And recycle because you probably live in a civilized state.

It’s Earth Day everyone! My turn to hit you over the head with earth-friendly ideas. These tips for stopping junk mail may look familiar; they were provided in USA Weekend over a month ago and I saved the page. I think the site www.greendimes.com will do these for you for a fee, but here’s a helpful list for all of you do-it-yourselfers.

1. Get off the lists. Go to dmachoice.org and click on "Remove my name from those lists." That lets you register with the Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association to get off mailing lists. Online registration is free (or $1 through the mail) and is good for three years. This move alone should stop 80% of unsolicited mail within four months.

2. Don't register products. Your proof of purchase of a new product serves as a guarantee of warranty for that item, so you don't need to fill out questionnaire-style product registration forms (unless you're concerned about recall alerts). They're used for mailing lists. And never sign up for contests and sweepstakes.

3. Squash the offers. To stop preapproved credit offers, have your name removed from lists supplied by the major consumer credit reporting companies. Visit optoutprescreen.com or call the toll-free number 888-567-8688; with both methods, you're covered for five years. You also can opt out permanently by phone or by mail using a form found on the website.

4. Remain anonymous. Supermarket loyalty cards enable marketers to track buying habits and can generate unsolicited mail. Sign up for cards using a pseudonym like Jane or Joe Shopper, with no address, to preserve your anonymity.

5. Stay vigilant. Buying online is the main culprit for catalog overload. When you make a purchase, immediately send an e-mail to the company or call its toll-free number and ask that your name be removed from the mailing list. And the new catalogchoice.org lets you choose which catalogs to refuse.

While we’re in the vicinity of the subject of recycling, allow me to gripe about so-called (not by me) paradise. I was truly shocked when we moved here three years ago to discover Hawaii didn’t have a curbside recycling program. Anywhere. They have some large recycling dumpsters, but not too many people use them and therefore, surprise! The landfills are filling up fast. I tried to use the dumpsters, but discovered recently that I had been illegally dumping. True story – so used to being able to recycle cereal boxes and other light cardboard packaging with other paper items, I diligently saved all my recyclables in a corner of my garage, loaded the back of the car every month or so, and drove to the drop-off station. The dumpsters have recently had a paint job and with that, new signage that read, “No cereal boxes” next to the paper window. Huh? What am I supposed to do with them then? I guess I’m forced to put them in the landfill??

A curbside recycling pilot program rolled out in two areas last year (not where we live) and is scheduled to be expanded to more parts of Oahu. But don’t hold your breath. The headline screams, “Recycling to expand,” but the fine print states Kapolei/Makakilo program to start in May, 2010. And that only includes cans, bottles, some (not all) plastics, and newspapers. That is no typo people. We will not have a functional recycling program for over two years and it won’t even be comprehensive. Bring me the Governator! I never thought I’d ask to borrow him, but he would whip these morons into shape in a week or two, I’m sure. Want a battery recycling program? Give us about 50 years, please, before we figure that one out!

And what also strikes me as un-earthy, it was noted in today’s paper that Oahu will be getting its first Steve & Barry’s store in the Waikele shops. I’ve never been in one, but not being much of a fashionista, they don’t strike me that great. Maybe I’ll check it out sometime in the next few weeks.