Let’s turn some trash into free postcards to send to this trash administration!

Yes, I’m serious. We’re going to take discarded materials like pasta and cereal boxes and cut them into free postcards to send the government snail mail.

Does the word “activist” scare you away? It shouldn’t! Here is the definition of activism. I bet you’re more of an activist than you think ;)

Let’s do it!

First, this is not the end of activism

This is a great first step if you’re new to activism. This is a good thing to do if you’re an experienced activist. But please don’t let this be the end of your activism. This is admittedly not the best thing we can do in terms of activism. This is more cathartic than it is purposeful, and I just want to make that clear up front.

That’s not to say that making these postcards is bad or harmful, but it very well may be a waste of time. So, do this if you want, but this is not a required action to be an activist. If your time is short, your best courses of action are to call and write emails to your reps.

But if you’re down to waste some of your time and the time of your elected officials, let’s talk more about what this entails.

First, here are some more ways you can be an activist.

The goal

So if this isn’t the best form of activism, why do we do this?

This is part of a broader movement called “Project Mail Storm,” where the goal is to disrupt our elected officials.

The goal is to simply waste time. Staffers have to open envelopes and count how many postcards arrive. Someone has to empty voicemail boxes and delete emails. All of these actions waste time. Yes, even if you just send them nonsense on a piece of trash and talk about nothing in particular in a phone call.

This prevents them from getting to more important phone calls and emails and letters. This hopefully keeps them busy with meaningless tasks instead of doing more evil.

Is this foolproof? Clearly not. They’re still doing evil things.

The other part of this goal is to inspire activism in those who have never done it before. It’s easier to send an anonymous postcard versus leave a formal voicemail. This is a great activity to do with friends as well, and make it more approachable. I see this as a starting point. If this is what gets you into activism, amazing! And, of course, it is cathartic. It can feel good to just get your feelings out. Of course, we should do more with those feelings. We should use our anger and anxiety to motivate us to make real change. Learn more here.

And who knows the impact that this has behind the scenes? Maybe a postal worker sees my postcard, and that inspires them to take action, too.

How to make trash postcards

You will need:

Thin cardboard/paperboard. No corrugated cardboard, please!
Scissors
A ruler or measuring tape
A pen and/or markers
Stamps (postcard stamps are cheaper)
Optional: ways to decorate them

Here’s how to make them:

Cut out your template: Standard postcards are 4 inches by 6 inches. Cut out one piece of cardboard to use as your template. No, it does not have to be perfect. Postal workers aren’t out there with a measuring tape. But it should be close enough to 4x6. If it’s closer to 5x7 or 3x8 or anything else, it will be noticeably the wrong size
Cut more postcards: You can either measure out the rest or use your first one as a template. Continue to use the same piece as the template. If you keep changing the template, it may start to alter in size and end up being the wrong size.
Recycle the scraps: You won’t be able to use the entirety of the boxes, so recycle the rest!
Line the cards: This is technically optional, but I like to make it look like a traditional postcard so that they don’t immediately get flagged as trash. I orient the postcard landscape and draw a line about 2/3 from the left. The 1/3 side will get 4-5 horizontal lines on it for the address. Be sure to save room for the stamp. The 2/3 side will be written on with our message soon. I personally like to do this assembly line-style. I line all of my cards before moving on to the next step.
Write your message: I like to let current events motivate my words. I never write anything long or eloquent. I save that for phone calls and emails. I keep it short and to the point. Here are a few recent examples. I write them with a vague recipient in mind.
Address them: After they’re all written, I sort them by who they will be going to. I usually have piles for the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and things like that. I have a list of common federal addresses here. If you want to send them to your state legislators, head to congress.gov to find your reps.
Stamp them: Simply add stamps to the top right corner. If you’re Canadian, apparently, sending mail to your federal government is free. So take advantage of that! Americans, though, know that postcard stamps are cheaper than regular stamps if you want to save money! Buy them at your local post office or wherever stamps are sold.
Optional step, decorate them: you can spice up the back of the cards if you want! Paint, stickers, Mod Podge some ransom note letters on it, whatever suits your artistic desires. Or, do what I do and leave them as is so that they know that they’re receiving trash, haha
Send them: Then, put them out to be picked up! Drop them in a blue mailbox, place them in your own box with the flag up, or however you want to mail them.

Notes

I personally like to send just a few per day. This stretches out my labor and also ensures that they get postcards daily instead of all at once. It’s more continuous bothering.
Does this actually “count” in terms of contacting your reps? No. For your voice to be counted, you have to prove your constituency. You can do this on a postcard. You just need to include stuff like your full name and zip code, which is possible. But it’s not traditional to include a return address on a postcard
So, no, you do not have to put your identifying information on here. It’s not traditional, and you can fully remain anonymous if you want
But how do I make my voice heard and counted? I highly recommend calling and emailing your reps instead. Use their contact page, which you can find on congress.gov, call them using the 5 Calls App, or send them a quick letter with Resist Bot. Yes, your phone calls matter, learn more here.
Again, I cannot stress this enough: don’t let this be the end of your activism journey. This is a fine thing to do. I do it for fun. I know it won’t save the world, but it’s part of my activism routine, if you will. But I also call my reps, email them, sign petitions, donate money, volunteer, and partake in local activism. Here are some more ways that you can get involved.
Yes, you can send other snail mail, too! Send them handwritten notes in an envelope. Send them trash sealed in an envelope. You get the idea. Envelopes do take more time to open and count, which can waste more time!
Still have questions? Check out this post for more information. Or leave your questions below! This post is accompanied by a full YouTube video tutorial, so go check it out here!

Thanks so much for reading along and beginning your activism journey. Our small actions truly matter. Don’t let them take that power away from you.

Feeling inspired? I encourage you to learn about voting with your dollar next, and breaking up with consumerism. Our money is extremely powerful. Use it well!

As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

Turning Trash Into Activism by Making Postcards for Project Mail Storm