GreenDimes, a new way to reduce junk mail

C: What is GreenDimes?
Kendra: GreenDimes is a membership service based on the idea that everyone can do small things in their everyday lives that will make a big difference. The membership reduces junk mail is a great way to do something both for our members and the environment.

C: How did it get started?
Kendra: After successfully founding two high-tech Silicon Valley companies, Founder Pankaj Shah started noticing his own junk mail and, being the entrepreneur that he is, thought there must be something he could do about it.

C: How big is the company?
Kendra: 12 employees, headquartered in Palo Alto.

C: How many users so far?
Kendra: GreenDimes has tens of thousands of users in just nine months.

C: Who is the most famous user of Green Dimes?
Kendra: GreenDimes was featured in Oprah’s Green edition. In that show Matt Damon talked about GreenDimes and eventually joined GreenDimes’ board. Matt found out about GreenDimes when a friend gave it to him as a gift and has since regifted GreenDimes to the rest of his family.

C: How do I sign up?
Kendra: Visit http://www.greendimes.com. Reducing junk mail costs $36 year through our service. Just a dime a day to get your name off of the biggest direct mail lists and to manage catalogs that you get.

C: Future plans or products?
Kendra: We’re working on some partnerships with the “UN Nothing But Nets campaign.” We have already purchased 5000 bed nets that prevent malaria in Africa. Our second partnership is with the National Missing and Exploited Children. If you sign up today, GreenDimes match $2 to your membership to fund missing children ID information kits. We have already funded 3000 kits. We want to show how members can make a big impact by doing lots of different and good things.

Our parent company, Tonic Generation, plans to launch even more products and services. GreenDimes will be just one of the many services of Tonic. Other services are still being decided. We will focus on more small ways to do good that are environmentally friendly and/or socially conscious.

C: Where are some of your favorite green things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Kendra: I love to go to the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building in San Francisco to grocery shop! I also like Greenopia, which is a website for local reviews that are green, organic, and sustainable. Similar to that is Green Zebra, which is a great guide and coupon book (By the way, I use this too!).