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Dealing with junk mail

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Learn how to reduce junk mail delivery. Find out how to resolve junk mail issues, including litter.

Junk mail brochures in a rusty letterbox on a wall.

What is junk mail?

Junk mail is printed advertising material that is delivered to an individual without their consent or request. It’s also known as unsolicited advertising material or direct mail.

Common examples of junk mail include:

  • flyers
  • catalogues
  • pamphlets
  • real estate leaflets
  • takeaway food vouchers
  • community newspapers.

Junk mail excludes material that doesn’t contain advertising for commercial purposes. For example, political campaign material, community notices and infringement notices.

Looking for something else

Contact Council

Community engagement

Make a complaint

Reducing junk mail deliveries

Excessive junk mail can cause litter problems and become a nuisance.

The good news is you can reduce the amount of junk mail going into your letterbox.

Display a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker

The easiest way to reduce junk mail deliveries is to display a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker (or similar).

Place the sticker where your mail is delivered, such as your:

  • letterbox
  • door
  • fence
  • other mail receptacle.

Make sure the sticker is clearly visible.

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Note

Political, educational, religious and charitable material is exempt from ‘No Junk Mail’ signed letterboxes.  

Register to opt out or remove your address

You can stop receiving junk mail from specific advertisers and publishers.

To do this:

  • add your address to the Do Not Mail Register
  • ask the material’s publisher or advertiser to be removed from their distribution list
  • remove your address from Australia Post’s National Address File database. Phone 13 13 18 or use the ‘General feedback or compliment’ option on the online form.

Responsible junk mail delivery

Under the Health, Safety and Amenity Local Law 2021 (the Local Law), junk mail must be placed in a letterbox or somewhere secure. It must be left in a location where there’s no potential for it to cause litter.

Make sure you

  • Leave larger mail in a place where it will be easily found and protected.
  • Use a plastic sleeve or rubber band to contain larger amounts of mail in windy or wet weather.

Don't

  • Leave mail on a letterbox that’s already full.
  • Leave mail at a property displaying a ‘No Junk Mail’ sign (or similar).

If you advertise in or publish junk mail, you must:

  • comply with the requirements of your distribution contracts and the Local Law
  • ensure anyone who delivers your advertising material does so responsibly.
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Under the Local Law, Council may fine publishers, advertisers and distributors that cause litter issues.

Making a complaint 

Follow our processes to resolve a junk mail issue or make a complaint.

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Note

Council only handles junk mail litter complaints. We don’t regulate ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker issues.

Junk mail causing litter

  1. Report the issue to the advertising publisher or company producing the material. Companies are often unaware their material is not being distributed responsibly.

  2. If the publisher or company doesn’t resolve the issue, you can lodge a complaint with Council. Phone 07 3403 8888 or complete the online form.  

‘No Junk Mail’ sticker being ignored

  1. Report the issue to the advertising company or distributor. Confirm that you don’t want to be on their mailing list.

  2. Register to opt out of unsolicited mail delivery, if you haven’t already.

  3. If you still receive junk mail, lodge a request for non-delivery with the Distribution Standards Board (DSB). You may still receive junk mail while your request is being processed. 
  4. If the issue still isn’t resolved, or the distributor isn’t a signatory to the DSB Code of Practice, report it to the Queensland Government.

Frequently asked questions

To stop getting junk mail, you can:

If you continue to receive junk mail, report the issue to the Queensland Government.

Delivery officers shouldn’t put junk mail into a letterbox with a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker. This is an offence under the Waste Reduction Recycling Act (s107). 

You can report the unlawful delivery of junk mail to the Queensland Government.

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Note

Materials that don’t contain advertising for commercial purposes are exempt from ‘No Junk Mail’ stickers. This includes political campaign material, community notices and fines.

You can take further steps to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

Materials that don’t have advertising for commercial purposes aren’t classified as junk mail. Examples include:

  • fines
  • Council newsletters
  • lost animal notices
  • political campaign materials
  • Neighbourhood Watch letters.

No, it’s not illegal for community newspapers to be left on the ground inside your property boundary. You can, however, request to stop receiving them. 

Write to the publisher and ask them to stop delivering the newspaper at your address. Keep a copy of the request for your records.

If you display a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker (or similar) and continue receiving the newspaper, you can take further action.