Yellow Pages Go Green

Opting out of yellow page book deliveries.

I store my stack of yellow page books on the top shelf of the coat closet by my front door. If I’m careful, I can use my right hand to reach up with my umbrella to jiggle one loose, and then catch it with my left hand as it falls down. That really is too much work to get the phone number for an emergency 24-hour plumber or FTD florist…

Instead, I either go to my laptop or iPhone and Google a few key words to get the contact information I need. So much easier!

I haven’t used yellow pages for ages, yet I still get new ones every year on my doorstep. A couple of years ago I decided to be proactive and I contacted each yellow page publisher I had a phone book from and asked to opt-out of their publication.

That worked well - for the first year. I’m now back up to five yellow page books in my coat closet. Kudos to Dex, the only phone book publisher who has continued to honor my opt-out request after one year.

There is good news for us Minnesotans! Conservation Minnesota has put together a website that encourages residents to either opt-out of the yellow page books or use and recycle them.

There are simple opt-out options for the three major yellow page publishers in Minnesota: yellowbook, supermedia, and Dex. In less than five minutes, you can opt-out of all three publishers. You will need to click on each publishers’s opt-out page, but it is very easy to understand and fast to fill out their individual forms. If you still want to have one or more of the books delivered, the website offers information on how to recycle the old books once your new ones are delivered.

Here is the link for opting out: Don’t Trash the Phone Book.

Why have I been saving those phone books I never use? I'm not sure - but now it is time for me to recycle them and make room in my coat closet for those winter hats and scarves!