09.Aug.2010 Aussies Call Time on Phone Books
According to environmentals in Australia, “Telephone books are obsolete in the digital age and should be available only to people who request them”. Read the full article >>
They want the number of directories printed – more than 22.5 million in 2009-10 (52,000 tonnes of paper) – to be cut dramatically, saying many households do not want [...]
15.Jul.2010 Downing St response to our Petition
Downing St have responded to our e-petition calling for an opt-in system for phonebooks. Over 12,000 signed it, one of the largest ever for a petition of its kind. You can read the full response here.
We’re pleased the Government acknowledged that an opt-in system would “help reduce the burden on resources and the environmental impact.” However [...]
06.Jul.2010 Should directory publishers pay for the cost of recycling?
On the day that the Local Government Association (LGA) kicks off its annual conference, with cost cutting in this ‘age of austerity’ no doubt one of the highest priorities, news comes from the US that Seattle City Council is weighing up its options to address ‘wasteful phone book distribution’.
From implementing a centralised opt-out facility to [...]
20.May.2010 75 million directories for only 6 million users – the numbers don’t add up!
Today BT became the second major directory in the UK to announce it will reduce the size of its phonebooks. Another victory for the ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign? Of course! But there is more to this announcement.
The article goes on to explain that 6 million people in the UK don’t have access to the internet. Is that who [...]
09.Apr.2010 Belgium Bans the Book
This week, Belgian Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced that the country would adopt an opt-in system for residential telephone directories – appropriately enough, via Twitter. Since printed directories have effectively been superseded by online directories, from 2011, white pages directories will not be delivered in Belgium unless a consumer requests one.
It’s estimated that this would save 3,000 tonnes [...]
22.Mar.2010 Want to reduce waste? Stop phonebooks!
In the news today is the Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) workshop being hosted by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, at City Hall. Representatives from 30 countries around the world will share ideas about minimising rubbish and recycling.
Well we have a very simple, low impact idea that will save at least 40,000 tonnes of [...]
15.Mar.2010 Small change, Big impact
On Friday, Generous.org.uk covered the news that we’ve exceeded 10,000 signatures on our ePetition. It’s great to get recognition from a site that says its about ‘finding small ways to change the world in a big way’. We couldn’t think of a better way to describe the ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign!
Drilling down a little deeper on [...]
08.Mar.2010 International Momentum Grows
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 [...]
01.Mar.2010 Councils wage war on pointless phonebooks
The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on householders across the country to wage a war on needless phone directories as they take note of the ‘Say No To Phonebooks’ campaign analysis that revealed it costs £7.5m a year for taxpayers to clear up the mess of phonebooks. You can read the full release here where the LGA explains that the ’£7.5m [...]
25.Feb.2010 Going, going, gone
Earlier this month, Yellow Pages announced it was going to reduce the size of its directory for the first time in 40 years. A result of reduced listings and increased environmental concerns no doubt. Yell also claims that ‘its reduced height and width means it will be small enough to fit through standard size letter [...]
