Let’s Talk About Return Address Labels
Repurpose, Recycle, or Use as Intended?
I just counted. I have a 926 return address labels in the back of a drawer in my desk. You probably have a stash, too. These are not address labels that I’ve acquired over a lifetime. They were included with non-profit appeal letters during the past five years from organizations such as Alzheimer’s Association, Arbor Day Foundation, ASPCA, Autism Speaks, Humane Society, St. Jude’s, World Wildlife Fund, and others.
I can’t throw them away. That seems like a waste. I’m an avid recycler — have been for more than 20 years. But I really don’t want my name and address scattered about in piles at a recycling center somewhere. It may not be something that deserves worry but the optics just aren’t good.
I’m also a repurpose fanatic. I have used vintage items to create bird feeders out of candle holders and hammered aluminum ware, mosaic stepping stones made with jewelry and broken pottery, a table top out of a painting, Christmas wreaths from CDs, and ornaments out of old family slides. I can usually look at something in its no longer useful state and imagine a way to transform it into a piece of found art or an item to place in one of my gardens. But address labels? If I was a fan of wallpaper, I suppose I could create a feature wall with them somewhere. But I am not.
There is, of course, the option to use them as intended — as return address labels on cards and letters. I used to be a passionate letter writer, back when penmanship counted and writing letters was pretty much the only vehicle for communication besides the phone. You know, landline phones with push buttons and dials and long-distance charges for calling outside of a very small geographic area. Or pay phones. But I can’t remember the last time I sent a birthday card that wasn’t created with Canva or Photoshop and sent via text or email.
So what to do with all of these address labels? I get anxiety every time I receive another non-profit fundraising letter that feels fat when I pull it out of my mailbox, knowing that inside will be another dozen or two address labels to add to my stash. I could stick one on the back of every framed photo or piece of artwork I have hanging throughout my house. That would use up about 36% of them. Yes, I have a lot of photos hanging on my walls. And art. I had considered creating a giant collage with them to hang somewhere but there simply is no room.
If my email address was printed on the labels instead of my physical address, I might be inclined to affix them to random acts of kindness cards and leave them around town. Or stick them on the back of my plant markers so if they should get carried away during one of our wild thunder storms, a neighbor would know where to return it. Remember chain mail? A bad idea that violates state and federal mail fraud laws. So that’s out.
Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and start writing letters. A lot of letters. Many, many letters. If only I hadn’t recycled my analog address book.
