background image

White and Yellow Pages Recycling Nightmare

24 September 2008

Just the other week 5 White Pages directories were dropped outside my block of flats, they all ended up in the recycling bins (or worse in our landfill) because everyone in the complex already had enough tyre blocks, monitor stands and useless garbage lying around their apartments.

There is a sign on my letter box that reads "No Junk Mail Please" - to no avail. The Yellow Pages directory for instance is simply a book of adverts, how is that not junk mail? It is not personally addressed to me hence avoiding the correct code of conduct when delivering advertising material.

I know there are some people who still use these directories, my parents still find them useful for instance, but what is the point in delivering them to millions of households that will simply throw them away - further adding to our already overfull landfills around the country?

A simple solution would be to provide an 'Opt-in' system for those who still want hard copy directories (suggestion: reply paid card in the next directory for those who wish to still receive a hard copy). However, fear of revenue losses may prevent this from becoming the norm i.e. the more directories printed the greater the alleged audience which in turn means higher prices of  advertisments.

Every man, woman and his/her dog has access to the internet these days and can check both directories online: http://www.whitepages.com.au and http://www.yellowpages.com.au

Alternatively there is always the free service at google: https://www.google.com/local/add/

Surely the time has come to stop this massive, unnecessary waste of paper, ink and energy of printing thousands of tons of directories each year and wasting energy and resources delivering them to each household?

By Marc Greenstock

User comments

John J. Cozzi @ 12th February 2009 12:39 AM
I could not possibly agree more with the view that Sensis needs to be taking actions to eliminate hard copy White and yellow pages.

Lobbying the telcos is absolutely one step in eliminating what are rapidly becoming redundant - old paradigm - directories.

However in order to get an organisation liek telstra to make a significant leap forward in the removal of these directories is to develop a njew protocol for sourcing the infromation contained in these books. The reality is the telco will be most receptive to any solution which reveals how they might go say digital only without losing more revenues than Sensis already does. While it does add to teh overall cashflows of the company Sensis is seen as a basket case of a busines which to date no one has figured a solution for - maybe this is something we can ll thinnk about?
Gemma @ 6th October 2008 10:28 PM
I think it is incredible that Sensis has not adopted a more socially responsible attitude and that automatic delivery is still happening. They should be finding ways to make their product more environmentally friendly, or better still putting all their efforts into their online directories.
Nicholas Bernhardt @ 3rd October 2008 02:24 AM
Tanya - from an environmental point of view it would appear to be quite futile sending the directories back - we should stop them at the source i.e. they should not be sent out automatically.
Tanya @ 27th September 2008 12:24 AM
Is there any way I can return the directories or would this defeat the purpose as I would be adding to transport emissions?
Peter J @ 25th September 2008 05:27 PM
I cannot agree more with your comments about the white and yellow pages. This happens all around the world. Imagine how many trees get cut down and how much co2 is burned in the manufacture and transport of all this paper. We should all lobby the phone companies to stop this terrible waste.
Thomas B @ 25th September 2008 01:05 AM
Has anyone ever considered calculating the carbon footprint - particularly fuel - of delivering all these directories to every household in Australia?
Post a comment
*

Human Validation:
*


Close Map