pesky phone book garbage

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has just refreshed its solid waste policy with recommendations to the legislature and other decisionmakers. An interesting problem and proposed solution is what to do about telephone books. According to the report, almost 13,000 tons of telephone books were distributed in 2006 but less than 15% were recycled. The remainder ended up in landfills or incinerators.

But a 1992 state law requires telephone directory publishers to provide for collection and delivery to a recycler of waste telephone directories. It's not working. MPCA is recommending a change in law to establish an 'opt-in' system where publishers would drop off new directories only where residents had responded to an offer and requested one.

Why does it matter? Because if the same percentage of Minnesotans did not opt in as are now on the 'do not call' registry the state would reduce 14,007 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and save 101.6 billion BTUs annually. In other words, it would help the state meet its 80% CO2 reduction mandate by 2050 and reduce pressure on dumps.

Discussion is on page 10-12.

Who needs six phone books anyway?

Comments

[PC]

Consumers can now “opt out” of receiving telephone books at www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org. This organization will contact the publishers and inform them to stop delivering books. This is a free service for consumers. www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org is working with state and local governments on ordinances concerning the delivery of unsolicited telephone books. www.YellowPagesGoesGreen.org is not against the telephone books but against the delivery of 4 to 5 pounds of paper on people’s door step 5 to 6 times per year and being told it is our responsibility to recycle something we did not ask for. If we need a book we will call. Otherwise I “opt out” from receiving it. Here are phone numbers of the publishers if you would like to call them instead: The directory publishers listed make it possible for you to stop receiving their books, but they don’t make it easy. None of the menu options includes “opting-out”. Follow the roadmap and you should get to a customer service representative who can help you.

— ATT/ Yellow Pages: 1-800-479-2977
— Verizon: 800-555-4833, press 4, then 5, then 2
— DEX: 1-877-243-8339, press 2
— Yellow Book: 1-800-929-3556, press 2