Environment

No More Yellow or White Page Books

by Barbara Mathieson | February 24, 2009 at 05:33 am

275 views | 54 Recommendations | 13 comments

If you are like me, I immediately toss these phone books into the recycling bin when I receive them unsolicited on my doorstep. I use the internet for a phone directory if necessary. We can now opt out of receiving these unnecessary tomes. Go to http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/index.html to unsubscribe. Feel free to keep them, but please recycle them when new ones are issues.

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Uwe Paschen

at 05:52 on February 24th, 2009

You do not run a business and many businesses as well as individuals and or organizations are not on the internet even in this day and age. The Yellow Pages are still very useful. Each search on the internet does use about a 100 watt to a 1000 watt in energy and would end up polluting a lot more for some one doing many phone number searches then if they used the Phone book.

Jordan Yerman

at 06:22 on February 24th, 2009

This is a good thing. Personally, I only keep a copy of the business directory, since if I'm calling a person, chances are it's somebody I know, and will already have their number. Besides, it keeps my kitchen table level.

For most people I know, the massive tomes live on the upper shelf of a closet.

Barry ORegan

at 07:19 on February 24th, 2009

We have the same debate in Canada, though they make nice firelogs

Uwe Paschen

at 07:24 on February 24th, 2009

Jordan made a good point. Yet I wish we start thinking more about energy used on search engines. Most are not even aware and may be a big wake up call once the charges will be passed down wish is around the corner and may happen rather sooner then latter.

jhazell

at 10:14 on February 24th, 2009

Are you really sure that using the internet causes more pollution than making phone books??? I am on my computer all day, as I am sure so are you. But think of the number of massive phone books being produced and delivered all over the world. Think of the numbers of them that are thrown out, let alone unused. I wonder whats really more polluting?

Uwe Paschen

at 16:06 on February 24th, 2009

It all depends on the usage. If you do X numbers of search you will use Y number of Watt and to make phone book you need Y number of Watt compare the two and once you use more Watt then the it took to make the Phone book you then pollute more with the computer then if using a phone book or Library.

Usually "we" here do pollute more with the computer then we would using good old fashion tools.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:26 on February 24th, 2009

Thanks for this, Barbara! I signed up!

Amy Judd

at 08:34 on February 24th, 2009

Excellent news - I'm going to do that. I never use mine.

altrugon

at 08:56 on February 24th, 2009

Sorry, but houses are not longer big enough for those books plus you have to think that we all have to make space for a new "body" in our houses... the computer.

Bye bye yellow pages, welcome computers.

ipozzolo

at 08:59 on February 24th, 2009

Que guapo que eres, Altrugon!

ipozzolo

at 08:58 on February 24th, 2009

The opt out seems to only be for US residences. Does anyone know if there is a Canadian site?

I agree that the Yellow Pages can be very useful but it might be a better idea to provide a couple per apartment building as opposed to every single unit. We currently have about two dozen unclaimed or returned volumes sitting in our building entrance way.

jhazell

at 10:19 on February 24th, 2009

I agree, why not make the Yellow pages a thing you have to subscribe to?? We have never used either the white pages or yellow pages at our house in 7 years. We use the internet, its faster and more efficient. At my office we use the Yellow pages all the time. If you want it, get it and use it if you don't want it don't ask for it. It seems thats pretty simple. Saves trees, saves gas with all the deliveries and saves our landfills (which probably get half of them).

Great Post Barbara, I tried to opt out, but we can't here it seems (BC Canada).

mtammas

at 20:53 on February 24th, 2009

As already said, some people still don't have a computer, or easy access to one, and can't look things up on the internet. Seniors would find this particularly frustrating.

I think that 'communications' companies should continue to provide phone books for free to those who want them. Most outsourced these books years ago and won't take responsibility for the information any more even though they quite happily take our money and add whatever other bogus fees they can think of to 'phone' bills.

Mass distribution may not be required any longer, but there are lots of people who would still like the book.

I find the internet vehicles that offer phone numbers, individual and commercial, to be to loaded with other junk that I don't want. It would be great to have just the phone book available onlline.