The Post Office is a bit of a monopoly, meaning there are not that many other choices, if you wish to post a conventional letter. However services like Pedal & Post (an eco courier that uses bicycle riders to deliver parcels) are becoming commonplace. We don’t have it that bad, as it takes far longer to post letters abroad (Scandinavia takes ages due to the snow, and in Chile post is so slow due to Andes mountains, that people get on a bus and deliver the letter in person!)
Use envelope reuse labels to send them on, bought from charities that support hedgehog rescue and humane research. You can also recycle used stamps to your favourite charity to sell on, through recycling for good causes (avoid animal-testing charities).
You can stop nearly all junk mail simply by not selling your name on, answering surveys or doing international lotteries. A good way to find culprits is to use a false name. So if your name is John Smith, enter Mr John A Smith for one form, Mr John B Smith for another and so on. Then if you get bombarded with junk mail, you know from your notes who sold your name on. One campaigner wants posties to be able to sound the alert if they think elderly vulnerable people are being targeted with scam mail, as often they are the only ones aware.
ask Royal Mail to stop using rubber bands
The Post Office can also help by using paper belly bands for posties to hold letters together, as the present red bands (used in their millions) get wrapped around hedgehogs or eaten by ducks (who feed them to ducklings, thinking they are worms). One man found one in his cat litter tray and say the Post Office (like everyone else) should be fined for littering. Posties can’t help dropping them, the onus is on the Post Office to provide an alternative.