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.

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