Did you know that more than 53 million trees are used each year to produce paper catalogs?

Factor in junk mail and unsolicited credit card offers and the waste keeps growing.

Consumer Reports has some quick tips to help you get rid of unwanted mail and save the environment.

Every time Rachel Skinner takes a pile of catalogs out to be recycled, she cringes.

“I can get close to 20 catalogs on a day,” she said. “I get furniture catalogs, lots of children's clothing catalogs. I get bed and bath catalogs. A lot of companies actually send me — I'll get four different catalogs from one company.”

What few people realize is that you can opt out and choose not to receive catalogs in the mail. You can even end those seemingly endless credit card solicitations. Urvashi Rangan of Consumer Reports Greener Choices says stopping the mailbox deluge is easier than you might realize.

The Direct Marketing Association, which includes companies that send you catalogs, must take you off of their mailing list if you signs up for their mail preference service. This includes subscription offers sent by companies like Consumer Reports.

All it takes is $1 and a click of a mouse. You can go to www.dmaconsumers.org. Then click on "Remove my name from those lists." There, you'll find the one- page form you need to fill out to cut off the flow. And if you want to stop those pre-approved credit card offers, one call does it all: 888-567-8688.

A few years ago, consumers started realizing they could get telemarketers to stop invading their dinner hour by signing up for do not call lists. Today they're taking it to the next level and saying, “Stop invading my mailbox, too.”

And until you can get yourself off the mailing lists, you might want to take your cue from Rachel, who found a creative use for many catalogs.

“I use some of the catalogs so the kids can cut out and make collages,” she said.

The non profit group The World Privacy Forum says it can often take at least one month for the "opt-out" to take effect, so be patient.

They have more information at their website: www.WorldPrivacyForum.org.