Two days ago, I came home to a Yellow Pages directory on my front doorstep.
A Yellow Pages.
A big, fat, four-hundred pound Yellow Pages book. Yes, really.
I can’t remember the last time I even cracked one of those things open. Has it been ten years yet? I’ll bet it’s been longer than that. I don’t even use them for propping little kids bums on – we’ve had high chairs, mini chairs, booster seats, and Bumbo chairs. We require no phone books around these parts, thanks.
And after having mini-discussions all afternoon on Facebook about the merits vs. pain-in-the-assedness of litterless lunches, eco-friendliness eco-chicness has been on my brain for days. (More than usual, I mean.)
The whole directory-thing might be attached to “make-work” programmes – to give employment to people who need jobs. This isn’t a bad thing, but can we come up with some alternatives? Certainly, in our area, stacks of these books get delivered by down-on-your-luck looking dudes, pushing shopping carts from street to street. The same kinds of guys who push carts with found bottles and cans… twice a year, they push carts with super-fat books with phone numbers inside them.
Seriously? C’mon now…
So, what to do about the phone book thing? I looked online and found this link, whereby you simply type in your mailing address, and ask that you NOT receive this massive, archaic, environmentally unsustainable monolith at your house forever more. Click it now – it takes less than one minute to do.
You can even select your reasons for wishing to opt-out:
* I’m concerned about the environmental impact of the directory (YES!)
* I use another print directory (Um, not freaking likely, Yellow Pages-makers…)
* I use digital alternatives (And proudly, since 1996 or so.)
I’m pretty sure the directory is constructed from recycled paper in any case, but there must be more practical uses for such paper elsewhere. And, this morning, almost every single blue recycling box on our block had a two-day old Yellow Pages directory tossed right on top. That’s wasteful on so many levels…
Save some trees. Opt-out of the delivery programme. Do it today.
Do you use your phone directory? Well, what are you waiting for then?
I haven’t received one in a while but funny enough, I was at my son’s guitar lesson and the teacher suggested we “pile a few Yellow Pages together” to help his right leg support the guitar. I stared at him blankly. We’ll use a stool, I think. 😉
Done! Thank you!
YAY- it has been bugging me too. I just OPTED out, thanks grumbler.
I never even considered trying to stop them from coming before! I wonder what ELSE I can keep from showing up… comets, maybe? I feel so powerful all of a sudden… *snicker:snort*
Maybe they ran out. Or, maybe they just got too tired of carrying all those heavy books up and down the stairs… it’s a big job, yo.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a number you can’t find, email me, and I’ll look it up for you… um, wait.
It’s funny what a relief that is! How can yellow pages create stress? lol THANK YOU btw for this!!!
It seems to be effective as we were one of the only homes on the block without one sitting on our stoop.
I hope it’s effective… I mean, really. What YEAR is this??!
aaaand…done! thanks for that! i’ll be sharing this shortly! probably one of the only links i will share on facebook!
Right? Shucks.
And, YAY!!
DONE. What a relief. I haven’t used one of these in at least 5 years!