Phone books - Why? SAVE THE PLANET!

[RX8]

Today I received yet ANOTHER phone book. These must be expensive to produce and deliver, not to mention the natural resource waste. I am not even given an option if I want one - they just end up on my porch.

There must be businesses that still pay to advertise but to me it seems like a "dinosaur" way to get your name out to the public. I personally haven't used a phone book for years.

With the internet, is there any reason WHY we even need phone books anymore?

 

[Ken555]

You should be able to opt out of them. I have, and haven't received one in years.

 

[MuranoJo]

Agree! I am sick of these things ending up on our doorstep. I'll check out how to stop this madness.

 

[ScoopKona]

Phone books arrive on your doorstep because a lot of businesses pay to make sure they do. When these businesses realize that nobody uses the phone book anymore, they'll quit paying for the advertising space. Until then, just chuck the books in your recycle bin.

It's wasteful and stupid, no doubt. But it falls under the "nothing we can do about it" category.

Phone books are probably only used by people in advanced stages of decrepitude who haven't heard about google. (And stoners looking for pizza menus. Duuuuude, we need to buy these garlic knots and cheesy breads. Pack another bong hit!)

 

[Ken555]

It's wasteful and stupid, no doubt. But it falls under the "nothing we can do about it" category.

Really? Following up on my earlier post... Use that Google you mentioned and search for "yellow pages opt out" and among the results you'll find this site...

https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/

I encourage everyone to opt out today! This falls under the "something I can do about it" category.

 

[Sandi Bo]

In my area we have 2 yellow page directories. It's all about the businesses paying the big bucks for the advertising. Back when the 2nd directory started publishing in our area I figured the businesses had to hate that, now they had to pay to be in 2 books. Yellow page advertising isn't cheap.

I keep a phone book in my car, although I can't remember the last time I used it. Even so, it doesn't have to be a current one.

I thought there were some states where publishing the directories was banned, but googling I don't see what I was looking for. I see that San Franscisco has an opt-in law. There is lots of on-going legislation around this.

Thanks for the link. I opted out this morning, it's pretty simple to sign up, be verified, and opt out.

 

[Patri]

Phone books are probably only used by people in advanced stages of decrepitude who haven't heard about google.

Thanks for the compliment. I use the phone book when I just DON'T FEEL like walking upstairs to the computer to find a number. The book is convenient in its own way.

 

[pwrshift]

Years ago Yellow Pages reportedly made more money than the rest of Bell Canada. Now it's 8 cents a share! The problem will take care of itself.

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/YLO.TO

 

[dioxide45]

Phone book paper is pretty far down the ladder in the recycled paper chain. It is one step above newspaper and toilet paper. So not really saving a lot of trees by getting rid of them. Also companies won't get rid of them if they continue to make ad revenue.

Also in many cases when they sell an ad in the phone book they are also selling an online add. So the online edition goes hand in hand with the paper version.

 

[DaveNV]

I try to use online resources whenever possible, but I think it'd be weird to ask my grandkids to sit on my cell phone or laptop when they need a boost at the table.

But I agree with the rest of you - I also don't use phone books anymore, finding I get more accurate results tracking down businesses online.

Even worse, a local fishwrapper newspaper appears on my driveway every Tuesday morning, carefully wrapped in its own waterproof plastic bag and sealed with a twist-tie. It contains the same ads as the local daily newspaper, and "community news" that is also a part of that same daily paper. I have no idea what purpose this paper is supposed to serve, since it duplicates information already being distributed all over the area.

Somebody is being paid to print, package, and deliver that thing every week, and all I do is drop it in the recycle bin before it ever even gets into the house. I called the publisher (after finding their number online, I might add), and asked them to stop delivering it to my house. They said, "Oh no, it's a free service." No amount of explaining would get them to understand they were wasting everyone's time. No wonder it costs so much to advertise in the local paper.

Dave

 

[dioxide45]

Even worse, a local fishwrapper newspaper appears on my driveway every Tuesday morning, carefully wrapped in its own waterproof plastic bag and sealed with a twist-tie. It contains the same ads as the local daily newspaper, and "community news" that is also a part of that same daily paper. I have no idea what purpose this paper is supposed to serve, since it duplicates information already being distributed all over the area.

Not very many people receive or even buy the daily newspaper. So those ads in the Tuesday edition are being distributed to meet minimum distribution requirements to meet what the buyers of those ads expect. We get one every Monday and tear in to it for the coupon books and any other coupons we might use, we also pull out the weekly ads. Quite handy and we don't even have to buy a newspaper to read the news that we wouldn't read anyway.

We also look at the weekly ads online, but it is so much easier in print.