No Junk Mail vs No Advertising: What’s the Difference?

Do you have a No Advertising sticker on your letterbox? What does this sticker mean? Does it mean that all unsolicited or unaddressed mail and flyers are prohibited? Is it against the law to ignore this sticker and put unsolicited or unaddressed mail and flyers into a letterbox displaying it? ITC is here to answer all your questions.

When is it legal to distribute advertising material?

Advertising material can only be distributed in three ways:

• Placed into people’s letterboxes
• Inserted into newspaper receptacles
• Put under doors to premises.

People cannot place advertising material under a car’s windscreen wipers (or wedged into a car door), on top of property gates or fences, in a public place or in open private places.

So when you see someone placing leaflets on cars in Lane Cove, that is against the law. Personally, there is nothing more annoying than driving off and then realising there is a leaflet under your windscreen.

What does No Advertising Material mean?

A No Advertising Material sticker tells distributors you don’t want catalogues or unaddressed flyers. It’s the sticker the industry’s own Code of Practice is built around (more on that below).

By placing the free sticker on your letterbox you can also reduce the unnecessary waste caused by unwanted advertising material.

You will also be helping the environment, as a huge amount of resources and energy goes into printing and distributing these materials.

Do Not Mail Register

To reduce the amount of addressed direct mail arriving at your address, fill out the Do Not Mail Register form and wait at least 45 days for it to be processed.

The Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) administers the Do Not Mail Register. It is a list marketers use to identify people who have opted out of promotional mail. However, only ADMA members (and a few non-members who agree to participate) are bound by the register.

The Do Not Mail Register will not stop or reduce mail from:

• Companies that are not members of ADMA
• New businesses seeking you out as a new lead
• Businesses that want to market themselves to your business
• Unaddressed mail like brochures, letterbox drops and flyers.

Distribution Standards Board: catalogues

The Distribution Standards Board (DSB) is the self-regulatory body for letterbox distribution across Australia and New Zealand.

Its Code of Practice tells distributors not to place material in letterboxes where a sign requesting non-delivery, such as a No Advertising Material sticker, is displayed. Newspapers are exempt. If you have a No Advertising Material sticker displayed and you’re still receiving catalogues, you can contact the Distribution Standards Board on 1300 083 241, by email at [email protected] or via the contact page on its website. The DSB says complaints can take four to six weeks to resolve, so you may keep receiving material in the meantime.

However, it is not illegal to put unaddressed mail in a letterbox that displays this sticker. NSW law allows advertising material to be delivered to letterboxes and makes no exception for stickers. The DSB code is voluntary and only covers distributors who sign up to it.

The sticker is aimed at catalogues and the companies that distribute them. The DSB says “Government and Local Newspapers are not considered ‘advertising’ information as they provide community notices”. It also notes that local real estate agents, takeaway shops and small businesses are often not DSB signatories, so it’s best to contact those businesses directly.

The Distribution Standards Board supplies ‘No Advertising Material’ and ‘Advertising Material Yes Please’ stickers. Residents wishing to get a sticker must send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the DSB at 3/5-7 Compark Cct, Mulgrave VIC 3170.

What does No Junk Mail mean?

When residents display a No Junk Mail sticker they are basically saying “do not place any unsolicited or unaddressed material in my letterbox”. There are some exceptions, which we cover below. Again, it is not illegal to place unaddressed mail in a letterbox with this sticker.

If you display this sticker but still receive “junk mail”, you can call the company that produced the material and suggest they ask their distributor to stop putting material in letterboxes with No Junk Mail stickers. Point out that receiving material despite your sticker makes you less likely to use their services or buy their product.

When is it illegal to distribute junk mail?

Under the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, examples of illegally distributing unaddressed mail include:

• Depositing, or causing someone to deposit, advertising material in a public place or open private place other than in a letterbox, a newspaper receptacle or under a door. This includes property gates and fences.
• Depositing, or causing someone to deposit, advertising material on any vehicle, e.g. under car windscreen wipers.

What is Australia Post’s position on unsolicited mail?

Australia Post states on its website:

Australia Post also notes that it delivers only about 10% of unaddressed mail, so it can’t guarantee other distributors will follow your sign. Political, educational, religious and charitable material is exempt from No Junk Mail signs under Australian Catalogue Association standards.

Still getting addressed promotional mail?

Contact the business that sent it directly and ask to be removed from its mailing list.