The following is a transcript of a report by Kelly Frey that first aired May 2, 2008, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

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How many pieces of junk mail do you think you get every year? The national average is 800 pieces per household.

Most people throw the junk mail away, but WTAE Channel 4 Action News has five simple steps to get of the mail for good.

"One person might think, 'Well, I only get a few pieces a day. It's not that big of a deal,'" said Sarah Allessio of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. "But when you look at all the people in the city, in the county, it adds up."

In fact, more than 100 billion pieces of junk mail are delivered each year. Junk mail in the U.S. accounts for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world. And 44 percent of that mail ends up in a landfill, unopened.

So, what can you do to stop junk mail from invading your home?

First, you have to get on the phone and call the right people. More than 50 percent of junk mail comes from the following five sources:

Credit reporting agencies who sell your information to any bidder, who, in turn, sends you junk mail based on your ZIPcode, income and credit patterns. Call 1-888-5OPT-OUT. The automated system will remove you from all four of the credit reporting agencies' mailing lists.

Publishers Clearinghouse. To get off the list, call 800-645-9242.

Valpak Coupons. Call 800-237-6266 to get off the list. The representative might direct you to the company's Web site, but if you don't have access to the Internet, tell them, and they'll enter the information for you over the phone.

Advo-Valassis, which is another marketing agency. To get off their list, call 888-241-6760.

Harte Hanks Direct Marketing, which, among other publications, sends the Pennysaver. If you don't want it, call 1-800-422-4116.

The next step is to save junk mail from other companies for one month. After 30 days of collecting, call each company and ask to be taken off its contact list.

The third step is to cancel any catalogs you receive. To do so, log onto to the Web site CatalogChoice.org. There, you can decline each catalog you don't want.

The next step is to outsmart product registration cards. The cards ask for information about your buying habits and your household. Write in bold letters, 'Do Not Sell My Information or Send Me Any Promotional Materials."

Finally, call your credit card companies. Tell them to stop selling your information on mailing lists immediately.

Keep in mind it can take up to three months for you to be completely removed from mailers because many companies print them in advance.

When WTAE Channel 4 Action News contacted the U.S. Postal Service on the issue, they said they use the term "advertising mail" when referring to junk mail. They also said it is a "$20 billion industry that employs hundreds of thousands of folks, not just postal employees … It's not something we look to diminish. It is something we look to grow … We are simply the delivering agent."

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