Opt-out of the wasteful $26 billion phone directory industry

Thanks, Paul! I always just throw mine straight into recycling. I didn't know you could opt out. I get a new one every few months, and I never use it, ever.

I signed up for this the other day, but honestly, do you think the people who deliver the phonebooks actually have a list of addresses to not drop them? I seriously doubt it. Just like the irritating local advertising papers that get tossed in the driveway every week, that most people don't bother to pick up for weeks, if ever.

I sure wish these were recycled. A number of them are simply thrown into the trash.

...I didn't even mention the gas it must take to get all of these books delivered. One more nail in that coffin.

I live in a small city (population 28,000) and for some reason four different publishers put out directories to my city (combined white and yellow pages). Two are fairly useless, but two are actually very good, with lists in the front of schools, parks, elected officials, even local clubs and organizations. One of them even has menus from local restaurants in the yellow pages, a feature I used just today, when I was stuck at my desk at lunchtime. And there's a fold-out map of my city in the back. I always keep one of these directories in my car.

Also, sometimes it is quicker to look up a number in a paper book than on the internet.

But the four-inch-thick, extremely generic yellow pages for the greater metropolitan area? That goes directly into the recycling bin.

here's a different perspective...

@9
Why don't they have them delivered using hybrid cars? Because the people they pay (like me) to deliver them can't afford hybrids. I was a newspaper carrier that also contracted with telephone directory companies to earn some extra money.

Sometimes political correctness can go too far in the other direction. If hybrid cars became a requirement for that job (which I don't think it can be since it typically is a 1099 position), that would eliminate many of the very people who depend on those types of jobs. Sometimes we forget that being able to stick to our principles is truly a luxury. I am a subscriber to two newspapers and one magazine, but all three are online only subscriptions. Ideologically, I am in favor of reducing paper waste, but at the same time, that was the only viable source of income I had for my schedule(it was literally that or "adult actress").

Also. goes to show you can't please everyone- another poster referred to deliverers dropping books off at a central location- even if I had the most efficient car in the world, using the latest technology, parking my car every three houses because someone wanted their newspaper on their doorstep was the reason why I eventually left the job. (and we are the lazy ones?)

The reason I took jobs like that (and am considering going back) is because the money was decent and the hours did not interfere with my class schedule. Most employers these days see the word "student" and think that equals $6 per hour or "internship."

@ author of post
Also, I think statements like "Honestly, when was the last time you needed a dry cleaner and went to the phone book instead of the web?" prove just how out of touch you are with society beyond your immediate circle. A lot of people do not have 24/7 access to the Internet. Think of how many retail or other non office workers there are that might need to make an doctors appointment on their break and don't have access to the Internet. I work at a community center where the majority of people don't even own computers in their homes. This is true in both urban and rural areas. I personally cannot afford a laptop, and honestly don't know if I ever will. I can't afford a fancy phone with internet either. There are many others like me. I know that going to the phone book first doesn't make me a dinosaur because I have found results that I was not able to locate on the web, or didn't come up in the first few pages of the search.

I don't understand what makes phone books so difficult to recycle? Am I missing something, or isn't just as easy to throw an unwanted book in the recycle bin as the garbage?

Paul, the poll at your office doesn't prove anything (again, limited scope). A significant portion of the U.S.'s population is retired. Statistically, there are more people under 50 using the internet than over 50. (And they hold a significant portion of the country's wealth and spending power). Besides, even computer and internet-literate people still prefer the phone book out of habit.

I like the idea of opting out of getting a phone book, but I have to think that the people who deliver the books don't have a master list of addresses to avoid. In Canada, we only get one or two books a year (at most), but they aren't addressed to our homes. I live in an apartment, so we just receive a batch of books in the lobby.

It seems to me that registering for a service like this (if it was available in Canada) doesn't do my any good... It's just a means for someone to collect my personal information.

I would love to see a petition to produce less books. I think that would make a difference.

Thanks so much for providing the opt-out link. The video was funny, too.

The thing about the Google number (someone else mentioned it above) is that it only has business listings. If you want business, government, and residential listings and you're not near a computer screen, the way to go is 1-800-FREE411. Our number pretty much replaces the need for the Yellow Pages, White Pages, and those blue government pages at the beginning of the book. Oh yeah, it's also as free as it sounds.

Cheers,
Jay

What the folks at YellowPagesGoesGreen are doing is great stuff. Most likely will NOT stop the Yellow Pages from arriving on your doorstep. At least not yet.

Best way to stop the insanity is call the publishers direct.

I have made the corrections, thanks for the heads up.