I, like others, have little or no use for phonebooks anymore. My first instinct is to search the internet before I risk papercuts and the dreaded newsprint fingers. In this day and age the internet is more accessible than hunting around and rummaging for the big yellow book. I'm always either near a computer or have my BlackBerry next to me. Phonebooks just seem like an awful lot of waste, especially if it was unsolicited.
Over 500 million of these directories are printed every year. That is an average of two books for every person in the United States. These directories produce an overwhelming amount of waste, not only in terms of misused natural resources but also in filling of valuable landfill space.
To produce 500 million books:
- 19 million trees need to be harvested
- 1.6 billion pounds of paper are wasted
- 7.2 million barrels of oil are misspent in their processing (not including the wasted gas used for their delivery to your doorstep)
- 268,000 cubic yards of landfill are taken up
- 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity are squandered
YellowPagesGoesGreen.org is a great organization that is working to educate consumers and promote the green movement to eliminate the unsolicited delivery of Yellow and White Pages books. Their website is focused on starting a national movement to bring awareness to the White/Yellow Pages industry in hopes to stop the delivery of books. On the site you can also sign up to remove your home or office from receiving the White/ Yellow Pages. Think of all the trees that will be saved!
"Your support is needed to help raise awareness and spark change in an industry that continues to wreak havoc on the environment. Technology has developed to a point where we do not need unsolicited telephone directories. By added your name and pledging your support, we can make a change!"
*thegoodhuman.com *yellowpagesgoesgreen.org
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