Stop Useless Phone Book Distribution!

Posted on April 30, 2008 by Portland Real Estate

What a colossal waste! Every year over 660, 000 tons of telephone books are thrown out. And as far as we can tell, there is no way to stop them–until now. Portland Octopus is taking on the phone book companies, but we need your help! When was the last time you, or anyone you know for that matter, used a phone book? Flashback: It’s the spring of 1996 and I’m alone, gangly and pimpled, in my parents kitchen, frantically flipping through the tattered Yellow Pages, seeking a miracle date for the junior prom. Oh Sally Sanders, must you forever be washing your hair! You see, the phone book does no one any good–not even 1996 Sally Sanders. In a world of paperless internet services and Google 411, phone books are an archaic source of information and a ridiculous waste of paper. We would like to see an end to this unwanted barrage of crappy ads and fallen trees. In the famous words of the late great Peter Finch in the 1976 film Network, “We’re as mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!!” To sign our ad hock petition, leave a comment to this post. After we have a significant number of comments, we are going to forward the page to all the major players in the phone book waste conspiracy. You can count on Portland Octopus to take on the man! Portland style.

Here are some other ways to help stop this problem:

1. Opt Out

Click here (https://ss82.shared.server-system.net/~paperlesspetition.org/sign.php) to request that your name and address be removed from the Yellow Pages printed directory mailing list (not sure if this works or not–has anyone tried this yet? does it work?)

2. Get Just One

If you still want to get one phone book, not 10 at a time. Call the individual titles directly. Tell them how many books you want a year and to stop unloading duplicates on your front porch.

AT&T/YellowPages (formerly SBC and Bell South):
1-800-792-265

Dex:
1-877-243-8339

Yellow Book:
1-800-373-3280 or 1-800-373-2324

3. Write a letter to the Yellow Pages Association

Yellow Pages Association (YPA)
Global Headquarters
Two Connell Drive, First Floor
Berkeley Heights, N.J. 07922-2747
(908) 286-2380
(908) 286-0620 (Fax)

4. Go to the Commander and Chief

Hit up the president of the Yellow Pages Association for some one-on-one fire.
Mr. Negley (Neg) Norton
President, Yellow Pages Association (YPA)
Two Connell Drive, First Floor
Berkeley Heights, N.J. 07922-2747
(908) 286-2385
Neg.Norton@ypassociation.org

5. Sign the Petition

Tell congress to make unsolicited phone book distribution illegal. Sign the petition at PaperlessPetition.org.

10 Responses to Stop Useless Phone Book Distribution!

1. Ryan Kelley says:

   We tried to stop the mayhem and we STILL get phone books! Have you ever seen the phone book delivery process? Most haven’t.

   It’s a bunch of wild teens doing “community service” on Monday nights. About two or three of them ride in the back of an open slow-moving Budget truck, pitching the bundles to two or three other punks who run the streets with them. No one is saying, “Hey Charlie, don’t deliver to number 344, they requested we stop delivering.” They have had too many Rockstars to give a shit and probably can’t read anyway.
2. John Reinhold says:

   What Ryan said.

   We have tried to get them stopped – to no avail.

   I would love to save them from the entire neighborhood and have them delivered to the CEOs office.

   When you guys figure out a plan, let me know. I’m in. All phone books are good for anymore is ripping in half to impress girls. Only I never could rip one anyway…
3. SW had enough says:

   I get so angry every time another set shows up at my door. Not only have I not used them in more than 5 years, but phone companies I don’t have anything to do with drop them off. I made a footrest out of the first two and the rest went straight into recycling.

   It’s the tragic waste of the trees that’s so criminal. Surely in Portland we could make it stop somehow.
4. brewcaster says:

   A-fucking-men. I can’t stand these things. I believe we still have one in its original delivery bag still sitting on our porch from weeks ago. Anyone have connections with the city so we can get something done?
5. Greg says:

   Nearly 90% of adults used the printed yellow pages last year. If you are ready to spend money, the printed yellow pages is the best source to find reliable local businesses. Have you ever tried to shop for local businesses on the search engines? All you get is listings. The printed directories are full of useful buying information.
   You are obviously part of the 10% that do not use printed yellow pages. Only 50% of households have broadband internet services. How are those that do not have broadband supposed to find local businesses???
6. Christopher says:

   I understand that there are stil people out there who use the phone book and that is fine. The point is that there are many of us who dont and who actually care about the environment. As to the comment about people with out broadband and people who find it useful for local directories my question is why do you need 13 diff. phone books all containing the same information. If we cant find a way to stop them yet maybe we can find a way to reduce them. I think they should have some way to request that they are not delevired to you anymore. Or simply drop them off at public buildings such as libraries in limited amounts and all that need them can go get one.
7. johnny says:

   very confused on all the complaints about phone books, one issue on my mind is, maybe the cost of living in the united states has something to do with all the phone book deliveries, or maybe it is the educational field for which maybe is raising the cost of living in the united states, or maybe the leglislatures are confused on how to control the cost of living which is causing alot of unnessary issues, and maybe the complaints about phone books make no sense to the complainer, or maybe every U.S citizen should do their part and recycle phone books to keep the economy moving strong.Not sure if trees are being cut down to make a phone book,thought that the recycled paper was used for phone books, so in ending maybe all the complainers can recycle a phone book if not needed and do their part for our troubled economy, or until the legislatures can shed some light on the high cost of living expenses in the U. S.
8. James says:

   Phonebooks are not useless. Many people do not have access to the internet for information they get from phonebooks. Do you want to add thousands of more workers who depend on the delivery of these books to the unemployed? The books are made of mostly recycled paper. If you dont want the book that is delivered to your home, just put it in the recycling bin. How hard can that be? The delivery drivers work from sun up to sun down to provide this service for residents and businesses. Give them a break. Let them earn an honest living so they can pay their bills and feed their families.
9. Vinh Nguyen says:

   I was referred by YP people as ” Un educated idiots like yourself” when i wrote about How Yellow Pages Can Stop Wasting Money from Businesses and Save Trees — Sad
10. Heidi says:

    OK, we get sooo many phone books, that the whole mess is unusable. Too much to wade through, plus I NEVER knew who to trust!!

    Did you see on the news lately, bogus businesses like mobile locksmiths are listing local addresses in the phonebook, so that people will think they are legitimate and accountable? And these people aren’t licensed, bonded or trackable at all. I’m sure anybody with a van could claim to be ANYTHING, and come inside your house with your loved ones.

    If I want a plumber/etc, I’ll use the good OLD-FASHIONED method I’ve always used: ask around for a good referral, or call information for the last one I had.

    As far as the books being recycled, or generating jobs?– how about just giving them to the folks who actually WANT them.
    Would we tolerate GM creating cars that go straight to the junkyard? And increasing OUR tax payer burden with tax write-offs, loans, subsidies, etc. to create that product?
    If we’re going to do CHARITY projects, put people on public works jobs just like in the Depression.

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