‹ Is the number up for Yellow Pages? — Save the environment by Saying No To Phonebooks ›

15.Oct.2009 RIP the phonebook

Filed In: News

The Sun newspaper has declared that the number could be up for phone books.

“More than 75 million are delivered to UK homes each year but a campaign begins today to slash this figure to cut waste. Online directory service 192.com and Global Action Plan want us to “opt in” to get a new directory.”

In the article, Environment Editor Ben Jackson reveals fascinating phone facts. Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2681218/Numbers-up-for-the-phone-book-with-calls-to-cut-waste.html#ixzz0Tzmwa1H9

12 Comments

Comment Pages

There are 12 Comments to "RIP the phonebook"

  • Susan Tilbury says:
    October 15, 2009 at 4:29 am

    Whilst I am more than happy to sign a petition against telephone books for companies this petition would appear to be against ALL telephone books and that is based on the assumption that all private dwellings have access to the internet for company telephone numbers etc or can avoid to pay for the likes of 118118 and therefore would suggest that private dwellings still have directories but not as often.

  • Anne says:
    October 15, 2009 at 5:31 am

    I shall not sign until YOU allow free access to ALL information that would be available in a directory.

  • Sharon Bradbury says:
    October 15, 2009 at 6:53 am

    I totally agree with the above sentiment. My husband doent even know how to turn a computer on, we object to the premium call rates every time we need a number that is not local and our telephone book is thoroughly thumbed and often used. Now everything comes in one book, we only get one book every couple of years anyway. When we get a new book, we take the old ones into work where we do not have access to them. We often use them to find individuals numbers. As I work for a community health service for the elderly most of our patients wouldnt even have a clue about computers and certainly could not afford the 118 numbers all the time.

  • Elaine Burgess says:
    October 15, 2009 at 8:07 am

    Obscene waste of resources

  • Adrian Watt says:
    October 15, 2009 at 8:08 am

    Yeah, you’re not exactly doing this out of pure disinterested environmental concern, are you?
    Still, getting the Sun to parrot your press releases – that should make for informed debate.
    (Informed debate would mention that the existing opt-outs are chosen by only a very small proportion of people, and that phone books are produced, as I understand, to pretty high sustainability standards. Not to mention that opt-ins and opt-outs equally are marketing devices which sellers manipulate to persuade customers into preferred behaviours. As Ms Tilbury says, just be more intelligent with the production volume. And for those of us who do consider the environmental issues, saying no isn’t that much of a bother – try it).
    The frequent and simple-minded insistence that anything on paper is “outdated” because the internet exists is annoying. So are companies which attempt to disguise their commercial manoeuvrings as concerned campaigning.

  • Katie Gardner, 192.com says:
    October 16, 2009 at 3:46 am

    There are a few websites that offer free online directory enquiries including 192.com.

    This campaign is simply saying that for those people that no longer use printed telephone directories, they should have the choice whether or not they have these directories dumped on their doorstep.

    A open and clearly promoted opt-in system offers the opportunity to have a significant positive impact on the environment as well as reduce the cost of managing this waste which makes sense if a high percentage just aren’t used anymore. People who do use printed directories should have the option to continue to do so.

  • Peter Rand says:
    October 16, 2009 at 10:14 am

    First, I admit I have a vested interest in the debate, as do 192.com . 192.com are however rather coy about theirs..

    My business delivers printed material (including directories) for companies throughout the UK.

    There are already (and have been for a number of years) working opt-out procedures in place in the UK for each of the three main Publishers. It works – I know – we have to honour these requests. Which we do.

    Publishers are very keen for us NOT to deliver copies to people who don’t want a directory – any implication to the contrary is not correct.

    The number of people wanting to opt-out is growing (at a small pace, but growing). This number however is dwarfed by the sheer volumes of people who bother to spend their time calling or emailing asking precisely the opposite – i.e. “Where’s my Phone Book/Thomson /Yellow Pages Directory”.

    And, as a previous comment stated, there is a difference to the consumer in cost for these services. All printed products are free, paid for generally by advertising.

    Your product is partially free but needs payment for anything other then basic information.

    As a test, I just tried to find myself (no pun intended) on your site – no joy – but if I pay up for “premium” service I can access my electoral roll data and find out when I was born/got married. Wonderful.

    You can find my company – with two phone numbers, one of which is incorrect.

    You can also find a local Photo processing company that has been out of business a number of years.

    Not exactly the sort of performance that would have the masses reaching for their laptops.

    Cheers

    Peter

  • Harry Moore says:
    October 30, 2009 at 5:18 am

    I think that for those who don’t have access to the internet there could be a charge for a paper directory, it should be small though because production costs are more or less absorbed by advertising revenues. For those who have internet access 192.com should be easier and free to those needing numbers or addresses. It should be posssible to view ALL the “Jones” in an area in order to find the wanted one.118 numbers do not meet my criteria for value for money.
    Bye, Harry

  • minihaha says:
    October 30, 2009 at 6:51 am

    on line is best nearly always up to date

  • Bernard O'Donoghue says:
    November 2, 2009 at 3:09 am

    Why should anyone sign your petition,Is it so that you can make more money from people that would have to use your ’service’? You wont even print my name correctly

  • Bernard O'Donoghue says:
    November 2, 2009 at 3:11 am

    YES THANKS FOR THE PHONEBOOK

  • Stephen Willaims says:
    November 13, 2009 at 7:14 am

    Whilst your environmental concerns are valid Im not sure you have addressed the consequences of banning phonebooks. Whilst a number of people may go online for their needs an ever greater number of people will turn to Directory Enquiry services to find the numbers they need. Given the poor regulation of this industry and the total lack of price transparency they will end up paying a small fortune to find numbers.

    I was shocked at the cost of calling a 118 numbers from a mobile phone and ended up writing about it here http://www.aqa.63336.com/blog/mobile-regulation/are-you-being-ripped-off-calling-a-118-dq-service/

    Unitl this is resolved, paper phonebooks remain a vital and cheap source of information for many

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