Letter to the Oakville Beaver Newspaper

To whom it may concern at the Oakville Beaver:

I'm writing today as a resident of Oakville concerned with reducing the environmental impact of our community. As someone who takes great pride in being involved in his community, I try to stay informed about the happenings in Oakville. I've found that reading the Oakville beaver online has proven to be one of the most effective ways to do this.My concern is with the Oakville Beaver's practice of delivering their newspaper to all Oakville residents by default. In the past I have tried numerous times to unsubscribe from this service yet still receive the paper, albeit only on occasion. To that end, I have drafted a letter (attached as a Word document) that could be delivered as part of the next newspaper delivery. This would allow residents to 'opt-out' of this free service. Please feel free to use or modify this letter in any way you see fit.

First, I'm realistic enough to know that the likelihood that you will choose to send out this letter is very low. However, I felt that at the very least this letter would raise awareness with your staff that such concerns exist in the community. I humbly request that you at least read it. Perhaps you could consider something as simple as "No Oakville Beaver Delivery Please" stickers for mailboxes.Second, I'm aware that with any business the bottom line is the most important line. For that reason, I'll present you a financially-advantageous reason to send out this letter. Sending out this letter would allow you to tell potential advertisers that, unlike most local publications, each and every recipient of your newspaper chose to receive it. Thus, an unusually high percentage of those recipients actually read the paper and consequently are exposed to the advertisements. Focused advertising is a huge selling point, evident in the rates paid by advertisers for focused magazines compared to general-audience newspapers on a per-subscription basis.

Realistically, I think we can all agree that there are a large number of papers that are delivered and end up in the trash or recycling bin without even having been unrolled. There is a fair bit of apathy about local issues; there was only a 35% voter turnout in the last Oakville municipal election. Then there are those who prefer to stay abreast of national or international news, but are not concerned with local issues. I would hate to see the Oakville Beaver disappear - I think it's a wonderful pillar of this community. However, I just don't think the paper should be delivered by default to everyone with no easy option to unsubscribe.

If you wish, please feel free to contact me at this email address or my phone at 905-xxx-xxxx.

Thank you for your time!

---

The text of the letter:

Dear resident of Oakville,

At the Oakville Beaver, we understand that while many Oakville residents may enjoy our newspaper’s content, there may be others who are not interested in receiving copies of our newspaper. In an effort to potentially reduce the amount of paper used by the Oakville Beaver, we are leaving a copy of this letter at every household that currently receives free copies of our newspaper.

The Oakville Beaver is published three times weekly by Metroland Media Group. The paper covers topics of particular interest to Oakville residents including local political, sports, arts and business news as well jobs and classified ads. The Oakville Beaver has won the prestigious General Excellence Award in the top circulation class in the Ontario Community Newspaper Association's Better Newspapers competition every year since 2006. The paper can be read online at no cost at the following address: http://www.oakvillebeaver.com/.

The other side of this coin is that “manufacturing one ton of newsprint, which is enough to create approximately 280,000 broadsheet pages, requires the contents of twelve mature trees.” A bit less than half of the paper used by the average North American newspaper comes from recycled paper. Most paper used by newspapers originates in “the Canadian Boreal Forest; according to Forest Ethics, a Canadian non-governmental organization, clearcutting is the preferred technique in these regions.”

Once the logging is complete, the most energy-intensive phase of the process begins. According to Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology, “newsprint production accounts for roughly two-thirds of a paper's energy consumption”. Wood pulping is reputedly the dirtiest part of the process. The US Department of Energy estimates that “the paper manufacturing industry is that nation's fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, trailing only the chemical, petroleum and coal, and primary metals industries.” Finally, all that paper must be trucked to stores, newsstands and homes, then back to be recycled or landfilled. The end result is that according to a British 2006 report, “a single copy of the British tabloid the Daily Mirror, weighing in at 6.4 ounces, accounts for 6.1 ounces of carbon emissions.”

In order to inform us of your decision regarding the free delivery of the Oakville Beaver to your home, please check one of the following boxes and leave this letter in your mailbox before your next Oakville Beaver delivery date.

- I would like to continue my free biweekly subscription to the Oakville Beaver

- Please stop delivering the Oakville Beaver to my home

Thank you for your time!