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Catalog Choice and Environmental Paper Network join the national campaign to help Americans save 1 million pounds of paper by April 22

NEW YORK — Jan. 17, 2012 — Manilla, a free service that offers the best way for consumers to manage their bills and accounts online and via mobile applications, has added unwanted advertising mail to its list of restrictions for the 2012 Paper Diet, a campaign to help consumers and businesses reduce their use of paper. Catalog Choice, the leading service to stop unwanted mail, and the Environmental Paper Network, the leading voice in the environmentally responsible use of paper, have joined the effort. Manilla has set goal for Americans to “lose” more than 1 million pounds and 5 million inches of paper, while saving 13,000 trees.

“We are thrilled to work with the Environmental Paper Network and Catalog Choice to support Americans as they go on the 2012 Paper Diet,” said Jessica Insalaco, the chief marketing officer of Manilla.

In order to achieve their paper weight loss goals, consumers and businesses can take the 2012 Paper Diet Pledge by posting a digital badge on Facebook and by suppressing unwanted paper mail. By simply opting out of getting unwanted catalogs and other advertising mail, Americans can lose half of their paper weight. They can lose the other half by electing to go paperless with direct mail, bills and account statements.

Because account information is available online through Manilla — which provides expedited digital mail delivery — it has never been easier to lose paper weight. With Manilla, users have all of their important account information in one place online, giving paper dieters a free, secure digital alternative to receiving paper mail.

To make the paper weight loss as easy as possible, consumers can use a variety of resources that are committed to the Paper Diet, such as Catalog Choice, the nation’s most comprehensive service that helps people suppress unwanted catalogs, direct mail and phonebooks. “CatalogChoice.org is an easy way to shed pounds of unwanted paper,” said Chuck Teller, the company’s executive director. “More than 1.5 million Americans use our service to opt out of unwanted mail. Everyone wins — cut clutter at home, reduce costs for companies, and save natural resources. Dieting has never been so easy.”

Using services like Manilla and Catalog Choice will not only make consumers’ lives easier, but it will also help the environment, an effort that the Environmental Paper Network is proud to support.

“The Environmental Paper Network has a common vision to improve paper-use efficiency and eliminate excessive and unnecessary paper consumption. Our online Paper Calculator is the perfect scale for the paper diet,” said Joshua Martin, executive director of EPN. “Eliminating 1 million pounds of virgin paper will save 13,000 trees, the energy to power 180 homes per year, the greenhouse gas emissions equal to 273 cars per year and the solid waste of 34 garbage trucks.”

The dieter who loses the most paper weight will receive a Paperless Toolbox, which will include an iPad, an iPad pen, a Kindle, Paperless Post stamps and a shredder. For more information on the Paper Diet and how you can take the pledge, please visit ThePaperDiet.com.