‹ Councils wage war on pointless phonebooks — Small change, Big impact ›

08.Mar.2010 International Momentum Grows

Filed In: News, Printed Phonebooks

As the number of signatures on our Downing St ePetition climbs to almost 8,000, its worth pointing out that unwanted phonebooks aren’t just causing waste problems in the UK.

In Australia, green bloggers are claiming, “Phonebooks are heavy, thick, and mostly unwanted due to the arrival of the on-line phone directory and mobile  phones! When was the last time you used one of these paper dinosaurs? Who is sick of getting them each year, and never using them?” (Read the full Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op post).

While in the US, one pastor has claimed that understanding cultural evolution over the last decade can help communications become more like YouTube and less like phonebooks - something thats “picked up and promptly deposited in the trash”. He went on to say, “Heavy printed phone books represent more than telephone numbers and ads. They represent the past, communication forms that used to work the best, and a dog-eared determination to hang on to the past no matter what” (Read the full Barry Whitlow post).

With this international resentment growing, it’s encouraging to see that US lawmakers are going so far as to propose fines for unwanted phonebooks (Read full 9news.com article). Isn’t it time the UK government started to address the issue rather than just turning a blind eye?

32 Comments

Comment Pages

There are 32 Comments to "International Momentum Grows"

  • Shane Cartwright says:
    March 10, 2010 at 4:03 am

    BULL S____ If you want a LOCAL company you need a phone book, other wise you just land up with a national company who is willing to pay the highest ” PAY PER CLICK” , often sited over 100 miles away. This campaign is not for enviromental reasons but commercial reasons started by the greedy search engines

    Reply
    • Kay Durrant says:
      March 11, 2010 at 4:17 am

      I would happily sign this petition if not having a book was any advantage to me – to get a number from any of the requst places it costs a lot of money, and as a pensioner and a widow with all my bills to pay myself, all those 50+ pences that I save by looking in the books can mount up tp quite a lot if you are looking for a service, so make the requests cheaper – they used to be free! – and then people like myself might sign

      Reply
  • Jonathan says:
    March 10, 2010 at 8:19 am

    I do not support your campaign as it would appear your only motive is to profit from your website in the absence of a phone book. I think it is disgraceful to deceive people in this manner. Should you really care about the environment, then please provide the services free & therefore people would not go for paper version.

    Reply
  • Katie Gardner says:
    March 10, 2010 at 8:27 am

    For the record, 192.com (and other online directories) do offer directory enquiry searches for free.

    Independent research shows that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. If we saved the natural resources and council funds consumed for these directories, we have an instant win without affecting consumers or local businesses.

    Reply
  • Jerry Gosney says:
    March 10, 2010 at 9:02 am

    I’m the executive director of the Data Publishers Association, which
    includes local directory publishers among its members, and naturally I’ve
    been interested to see your campaign on phonebooks and the related online
    petition.

    Your premise appears to be that phonebooks are unwanted and are an
    environmental burden. This is simply not the case – our members’
    directories are well-used, make a strong contribution to local economies
    and are produced in a highly responsible and sustainable manner.

    Directory publishers work closely with local authorities to recycle and
    divert used directories from landfill and the four main publishers, Yell,
    BT, Thomson Local and KCOM, have made considerable progress. Together they
    have achieved an aggregate rate of 73.88% – already ahead of the 70%
    benchmark Defra is expecting all sides of the publishing and direct mail
    industries to achieve by 2013.

    If you add in the impact of programmes such as composting and energy
    recovery, then diversion from landfill is even higher, with one of our
    larger publishers reporting rates of over 90% – a remarkable achievement,
    and some way from the picture painted in the media of directories clogging
    up landfill sites.

    In addition, the aggregate use of recycled paper by the four publishers
    mentioned is above 50%, already close to the Defra target for 2013. All
    directories are 100 per cent recyclable.

    Directories play a vital role in underpinning commerce in local communities
    across the country, linking consumers and businesses
    with traders and suppliers. The value of transactions generated by Yellow
    Pages alone is estimated to be in excess of £67 bn a year. And Stephen
    Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, is recently on record
    stating his members rely on printed directories for their success.

    Thousands of traders and local companies wouldn’t promote themselves in
    local directory phone books if they didn’t work in generating business for
    them – and they clearly wouldn’t work if consumers didn’t want them and
    binned them unopened.

    I’d also like to emphasise that all UK directory publishers maintain an
    opt-out scheme that enables consumers to choose not to receive a printed
    directory. This is a workable, successful option offering consumer choice.
    The number choosing this option is small.

    There is, of course, no room here for complacency in any of this. That’s
    why the DPA has drawn up a Sustainability Code of Practice, setting
    standards publishers must observe, and each year produces a report showing
    both compliance and progress towards the 2013 targets set by Defra.

    One final point, you claim that your campaign has led to Yell reducing the
    size of its Yellow Pages directories. This is not the case, but was a decision
    based on research into the views of consumers as explained in the following
    press release:

    http://tinyurl.com/yhkjonh

    Jerry Gosney
    Executive Director
    Data Publishers Association

    Reply
    • Katie Gardner says:
      March 11, 2010 at 3:09 am

      Jerry,

      The ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign team would like to respond directly to your post and thank you for taking the time to explain the DPA’s position on the subject.

      However, the first and most important thing we would like to point out about this campaign is that we’re looking to significantly reduce the production, delivery and collection of unwanted phonebooks. You say we assume phonebooks are ‘unwanted’. We know, from independent research, that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. Directory advertisers market to the other half of the population, while our target is to reduce the natural and local government resources wasted on this 41%. Still don’t believe us? The anecdotal evidence is everywhere – phonebooks left on doorsteps and 1 in 4 people saying that last year’s phonebook never even made it out of the plastic (including Pamela from Gavin & Stacey!).

      If we no longer produced directories for this 41%, we have the potential to save:
      – 25,000 tonnes of waste
      – 100 million kilowatts of electricity
      – 300,000 barrels of oil
      – 820 million litres of water
      – £3 million worth of council funds
      – And 33,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions

      All this without affecting local commerce and communities because this is simply about not delivering phonebooks to people who don’t use them.

      On the point of an opt-out facility being available, is this service widely publicised? Is this information easy to find on the publishers website? Is it promoted on the inside cover of the phonebook? The best place we’ve found to opt-out of phonebooks all in one place is http://www.junkbuster.org.uk

      Further to the press release, if the new Yell directories have been designed to fit through letter boxes, will they be delivered even when a person has a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker?

      Regards
      Katie Gardner
      Say No To Phonebooks

      Reply
  • Jim Wright says:
    March 10, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    I use 192.com for any UK contacts I need to make. Here in Australia, an opt-in process for paper directories is under consideration. I sympathise with those who are worried that on-line directories may be used for commercial purposes. Our biggest (formerly government-owned) telco runs the Yellow Pages (printed and on-line) through a subsidiary and I have a sneaky idea that Telstra customers get better placement than customers of other telcos. Perhaps a government or NFP organisation should provide the basic directories with companies such as 192.com providing the add-ons and more expansive information.

    Reply
  • Nick Cater says:
    March 11, 2010 at 2:24 am

    I would be so much happier if this was not a sly, self-serving sales campaign by 192.com.

    192.com, in my experience, is a misuser of information that should not be in the public domain.

    And when you want to ask for information to be excluded from its service, if there an easy online form?

    Hell no, you have to download a pdf, write your details with a pen and mail or fax it back in. And the download file “is damaged and could not be repaired”. Deliberate sabotage or just incompetence?

    I suspect someone has been reading Douglas Adams: “It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard’.”

    And for directory services, I find Yell.com a superior, faster service.

    192.com – the devious, manipulative company no one should do business with…

    Reply
  • Peter Blocksidge says:
    March 11, 2010 at 10:10 am

    Not everyone has access to a computer and 118XXX numbers are very expensive. The lack of a computer will tend to be among that section of the community least able to afford these costs. I think that your campaign is misguided and I wonder whether your only motive is waste.

    Reply
  • Alex Rich says:
    March 11, 2010 at 11:30 am

    On an environmental basis I agree with your campaign . I also have little use for phone books -certainly not with an annual update. However it seems pretty obvious you have a vested interest the campaign. It would be less obvious if your charges for the occasional (maybe 4 or 5 times a year )user like my self were reduced or validity of the credits did not expire so early .That is why I no longer use your service . When I did use it I found it excellent. -Regards -Alex

    Reply
  • polly bateman says:
    March 11, 2010 at 10:30 pm

    ive stumbled on this website,after only looking for friends reunited….. yellow pages, do we need them, no not realy it would save an awful lot of trees, old people, im not that far off me self, to being a pensior, and yes as a country we should have looked after them, wrapped up in yellow pages, but we never… lets look at the Earth, coal, oil, diamonds, they have all gonr in thier innocents, so why stop chopping down trees, for goodness sake people have been doing iit for years.

    Reply
  • Janice McHale says:
    March 12, 2010 at 2:24 am

    It is possible to opt out of receiving yellow pages and “Thomson Local” here in England, but you have to contact them individually. I won’t be signing the petition though. I agree with other posters that to ring 192 should be free

    Reply
  • James says:
    March 12, 2010 at 3:44 am

    I disagree, the Yellow Pages is very useful in my life. As someone previously mentioned I’d rather make the choice of company I call myself rather than choosing the one that pays Google the most to be at the top of their listing. Anyone who believes there is a significant environmental issue here should check out
    http://www.yellgroup.com/english/governanceandresponsibility-responsibilityatyell-sustainability
    and
    http://www.yellgroup.com/files/7TAKKH/yellow+pages+sustainability+factsheet.pdf
    Found on Yells website. They seems to be a very environmentally aware company more so than every takeaway that constantly put menus through my door added together!

    Reply
  • graham bacon says:
    March 12, 2010 at 8:51 am

    This is one of the most eceitful ways of raising revenue by 192.com. Its is nothing more than a marketing ploy.
    How many Pensioners (and by the way I am not a pensioner have access or know how to work the internet. How many people cannot afford the blatant extortionate charges that directory enquiries place on consumers.

    This campaign is little short of illegal and fraudulent and should be investigated by a body such as OFCOM.

    I feel that 192.comis nothing more than a group of greedy individuals and urge everyone to boycot this company and its fraudelent campaign

    Reply
  • Amy says:
    April 23, 2010 at 2:32 am

    For the record, 192.com (and other online directories) do offer directory enquiry searches for free.

    Independent research shows that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. If we saved the natural resources and council funds consumed for these directories, we have an instant win without affecting consumers or local businesses.

    Reply
  • Rick says:
    April 24, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    I would happily sign this petition if not having a book was any advantage to me – to get a number from any of the requst places it costs a lot of money, and as a pensioner and a widow with all my bills to pay myself, all those 50+ pences that I save by looking in the books can mount up tp quite a lot if you are looking for a service, so make the requests cheaper – they used to be free! – and then people like myself might sign

    Reply
  • Paul says:
    April 24, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    For the record, 192.com (and other online directories) do offer directory enquiry searches for free.

    Independent research shows that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. If we saved the natural resources and council funds consumed for these directories, we have an instant win without affecting consumers or local businesses.

    Reply
  • Patrick says:
    April 24, 2010 at 8:14 pm

    It is possible to opt out of receiving yellow pages and “Thomson Local” here in England, but you have to contact them individually. I won’t be signing the petition though. I agree with other posters that to ring 192 should be free

    Reply
  • Adam says:
    April 24, 2010 at 9:23 pm

    Jerry,

    The ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign team would like to respond directly to your post and thank you for taking the time to explain the DPA’s position on the subject.

    However, the first and most important thing we would like to point out about this campaign is that we’re looking to significantly reduce the production, delivery and collection of unwanted phonebooks. You say we assume phonebooks are ‘unwanted’. We know, from independent research, that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. Directory advertisers market to the other half of the population, while our target is to reduce the natural and local government resources wasted on this 41%. Still don’t believe us? The anecdotal evidence is everywhere – phonebooks left on doorsteps and 1 in 4 people saying that last year’s phonebook never even made it out of the plastic (including Pamela from Gavin & Stacey!).

    If we no longer produced directories for this 41%, we have the potential to save:
    – 25,000 tonnes of waste
    – 100 million kilowatts of electricity
    – 300,000 barrels of oil
    – 820 million litres of water
    – £3 million worth of council funds
    – And 33,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions

    All this without affecting local commerce and communities because this is simply about not delivering phonebooks to people who don’t use them.

    On the point of an opt-out facility being available, is this service widely publicised? Is this information easy to find on the publishers website? Is it promoted on the inside cover of the phonebook? The best place we’ve found to opt-out of phonebooks all in one place is http://www.junkbuster.org.uk

    Further to the press release, if the new Yell directories have been designed to fit through letter boxes, will they be delivered even when a person has a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker?

    Regards
    Katie Gardner
    Say No To Phonebooks

    Reply
  • Brad says:
    April 24, 2010 at 11:51 pm

    On an environmental basis I agree with your campaign . I also have little use for phone books -certainly not with an annual update. However it seems pretty obvious you have a vested interest the campaign. It would be less obvious if your charges for the occasional (maybe 4 or 5 times a year )user like my self were reduced or validity of the credits did not expire so early .That is why I no longer use your service . When I did use it I found it excellent. -Regards -Alex

    Reply
  • Brian says:
    April 25, 2010 at 3:32 am

    Jerry,

    The ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign team would like to respond directly to your post and thank you for taking the time to explain the DPA’s position on the subject.

    However, the first and most important thing we would like to point out about this campaign is that we’re looking to significantly reduce the production, delivery and collection of unwanted phonebooks. You say we assume phonebooks are ‘unwanted’. We know, from independent research, that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. Directory advertisers market to the other half of the population, while our target is to reduce the natural and local government resources wasted on this 41%. Still don’t believe us? The anecdotal evidence is everywhere – phonebooks left on doorsteps and 1 in 4 people saying that last year’s phonebook never even made it out of the plastic (including Pamela from Gavin & Stacey!).

    If we no longer produced directories for this 41%, we have the potential to save:
    – 25,000 tonnes of waste
    – 100 million kilowatts of electricity
    – 300,000 barrels of oil
    – 820 million litres of water
    – £3 million worth of council funds
    – And 33,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions

    All this without affecting local commerce and communities because this is simply about not delivering phonebooks to people who don’t use them.

    On the point of an opt-out facility being available, is this service widely publicised? Is this information easy to find on the publishers website? Is it promoted on the inside cover of the phonebook? The best place we’ve found to opt-out of phonebooks all in one place is http://www.junkbuster.org.uk

    Further to the press release, if the new Yell directories have been designed to fit through letter boxes, will they be delivered even when a person has a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker?

    Regards
    Katie Gardner
    Say No To Phonebooks

    Reply
  • Dave says:
    April 25, 2010 at 6:00 am

    ive stumbled on this website,after only looking for friends reunited….. yellow pages, do we need them, no not realy it would save an awful lot of trees, old people, im not that far off me self, to being a pensior, and yes as a country we should have looked after them, wrapped up in yellow pages, but we never… lets look at the Earth, coal, oil, diamonds, they have all gonr in thier innocents, so why stop chopping down trees, for goodness sake people have been doing iit for years.

    Reply
  • Dave says:
    April 25, 2010 at 10:05 am

    I’m the executive director of the Data Publishers Association, which
    includes local directory publishers among its members, and naturally I’ve
    been interested to see your campaign on phonebooks and the related online
    petition.

    Your premise appears to be that phonebooks are unwanted and are an
    environmental burden. This is simply not the case – our members’
    directories are well-used, make a strong contribution to local economies
    and are produced in a highly responsible and sustainable manner.

    Directory publishers work closely with local authorities to recycle and
    divert used directories from landfill and the four main publishers, Yell,
    BT, Thomson Local and KCOM, have made considerable progress. Together they
    have achieved an aggregate rate of 73.88% – already ahead of the 70%
    benchmark Defra is expecting all sides of the publishing and direct mail
    industries to achieve by 2013.

    If you add in the impact of programmes such as composting and energy
    recovery, then diversion from landfill is even higher, with one of our
    larger publishers reporting rates of over 90% – a remarkable achievement,
    and some way from the picture painted in the media of directories clogging
    up landfill sites.

    In addition, the aggregate use of recycled paper by the four publishers
    mentioned is above 50%, already close to the Defra target for 2013. All
    directories are 100 per cent recyclable.

    Directories play a vital role in underpinning commerce in local communities
    across the country, linking consumers and businesses
    with traders and suppliers. The value of transactions generated by Yellow
    Pages alone is estimated to be in excess of £67 bn a year. And Stephen
    Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, is recently on record
    stating his members rely on printed directories for their success.

    Thousands of traders and local companies wouldn’t promote themselves in
    local directory phone books if they didn’t work in generating business for
    them – and they clearly wouldn’t work if consumers didn’t want them and
    binned them unopened.

    I’d also like to emphasise that all UK directory publishers maintain an
    opt-out scheme that enables consumers to choose not to receive a printed
    directory. This is a workable, successful option offering consumer choice.
    The number choosing this option is small.

    There is, of course, no room here for complacency in any of this. That’s
    why the DPA has drawn up a Sustainability Code of Practice, setting
    standards publishers must observe, and each year produces a report showing
    both compliance and progress towards the 2013 targets set by Defra.

    One final point, you claim that your campaign has led to Yell reducing the
    size of its Yellow Pages directories. This is not the case, but was a decision
    based on research into the views of consumers as explained in the following
    press release:

    http://tinyurl.com/yhkjonh

    Jerry Gosney
    Executive Director
    Data Publishers Association

    Reply
  • Julie says:
    April 25, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    On an environmental basis I agree with your campaign . I also have little use for phone books -certainly not with an annual update. However it seems pretty obvious you have a vested interest the campaign. It would be less obvious if your charges for the occasional (maybe 4 or 5 times a year )user like my self were reduced or validity of the credits did not expire so early .That is why I no longer use your service . When I did use it I found it excellent. -Regards -Alex

    Reply
  • Nick says:
    April 25, 2010 at 3:50 pm

    ive stumbled on this website,after only looking for friends reunited….. yellow pages, do we need them, no not realy it would save an awful lot of trees, old people, im not that far off me self, to being a pensior, and yes as a country we should have looked after them, wrapped up in yellow pages, but we never… lets look at the Earth, coal, oil, diamonds, they have all gonr in thier innocents, so why stop chopping down trees, for goodness sake people have been doing iit for years.

    Reply
  • Larry says:
    April 26, 2010 at 1:03 am

    I disagree, the Yellow Pages is very useful in my life. As someone previously mentioned I’d rather make the choice of company I call myself rather than choosing the one that pays Google the most to be at the top of their listing. Anyone who believes there is a significant environmental issue here should check out
    http://www.yellgroup.com/english/governanceandresponsibility-responsibilityatyell-sustainability
    and
    http://www.yellgroup.com/files/7TAKKH/yellow+pages+sustainability+factsheet.pdf
    Found on Yells website. They seems to be a very environmentally aware company more so than every takeaway that constantly put menus through my door added together!

    Reply
  • Ian says:
    April 26, 2010 at 3:45 am

    I disagree, the Yellow Pages is very useful in my life. As someone previously mentioned I’d rather make the choice of company I call myself rather than choosing the one that pays Google the most to be at the top of their listing. Anyone who believes there is a significant environmental issue here should check out
    http://www.yellgroup.com/english/governanceandresponsibility-responsibilityatyell-sustainability
    and
    http://www.yellgroup.com/files/7TAKKH/yellow+pages+sustainability+factsheet.pdf
    Found on Yells website. They seems to be a very environmentally aware company more so than every takeaway that constantly put menus through my door added together!

    Reply
  • Simon says:
    April 26, 2010 at 5:07 am

    For the record, 192.com (and other online directories) do offer directory enquiry searches for free.

    Independent research shows that 41% of people simply don’t use printed directories anymore. If we saved the natural resources and council funds consumed for these directories, we have an instant win without affecting consumers or local businesses.

    Reply
  • Ian says:
    April 26, 2010 at 6:28 am

    ive stumbled on this website,after only looking for friends reunited….. yellow pages, do we need them, no not realy it would save an awful lot of trees, old people, im not that far off me self, to being a pensior, and yes as a country we should have looked after them, wrapped up in yellow pages, but we never… lets look at the Earth, coal, oil, diamonds, they have all gonr in thier innocents, so why stop chopping down trees, for goodness sake people have been doing iit for years.

    Reply
  • Joe says:
    April 27, 2010 at 11:56 am

    I disagree, the Yellow Pages is very useful in my life. As someone previously mentioned I’d rather make the choice of company I call myself rather than choosing the one that pays Google the most to be at the top of their listing. Anyone who believes there is a significant environmental issue here should check out
    http://www.yellgroup.com/english/governanceandresponsibility-responsibilityatyell-sustainability
    and
    http://www.yellgroup.com/files/7TAKKH/yellow+pages+sustainability+factsheet.pdf
    Found on Yells website. They seems to be a very environmentally aware company more so than every takeaway that constantly put menus through my door added together!

    Reply
  • Simon says:
    April 27, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    ive stumbled on this website,after only looking for friends reunited….. yellow pages, do we need them, no not realy it would save an awful lot of trees, old people, im not that far off me self, to being a pensior, and yes as a country we should have looked after them, wrapped up in yellow pages, but we never… lets look at the Earth, coal, oil, diamonds, they have all gonr in thier innocents, so why stop chopping down trees, for goodness sake people have been doing iit for years.

    Reply
  • Emily says:
    June 1, 2010 at 12:24 am

    On an environmental basis I agree with your campaign . I also have little use for phone books -certainly not with an annual update. However it seems pretty obvious you have a vested interest the campaign. It would be less obvious if your charges for the occasional (maybe 4 or 5 times a year )user like my self were reduced or validity of the credits did not expire so early .That is why I no longer use your service . When I did use it I found it excellent. -Regards -Alex

    Reply

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