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Monday, October 5, 2009

Green Dear Yellowbook: Fuck You!

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 2:38 PM

I've been complaining about the wastefulness of phone books for a few months now, but this weekend's arrival of the Yellowbook was a slap in the face:

eco_yellowbook.JPG

Neighbors in the Creston-Kenilworth Yahoo group echoed my irate opinions about the greenwashed Yellowbook. But miracle of miracles, one of them managed to track down the phone number of someone who will actually come to your house, pick up your unwanted phone book and offer to take you off their delivery list altogether. Hallelujah!1

Dialing 1-800-373-3280 will get you to the national Yellowbook distribution HQ. The line seems to be primarily used for people applying for a job dropping off phone books, but after a robot informs you that job information will be available at "a meeting with casual dress code," you're connected to a person who will arrange to have the Yellowbook delivery drivers come by and un-deliver your phone book. This exclusive limited time offer only lasts while they're still distributing phone books in Portland, so act now!

1. I just realized that maybe having someone drive a van back to my house to pick up and reuse one phone book is worse for the environment than if I just recycled it on my own. Uh... so maybe you should band together as neighbors if you're going have your phone books undelivered.

 

Comments (16) RSS

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1
I think the people of Portland should just figure out who is dropping these off and go adn throw all the phonebooks on their front sidewalk. Preferably right before it rains.
Posted by Number Six on October 5, 2009 at 2:49 PM · Report
2
Dial John Kroger at (503) 378-4400.

Oregon Statutes - Chapter 164 - Offenses Against Property - Section 164.805 - Offensive littering.

(a) Discarding or depositing any rubbish, trash, garbage, debris or other refuse upon the land of another without permission of the owner, or upon any public way or in or upon any public transportation facility;

Go Sarah go!
Posted by J_Renaud on October 5, 2009 at 3:02 PM · Report
3
A better tactic would be to pressure the state government to make phone book delivery an "opt-in" program. Or, at the very least, have them make a single "opt-out" website where you can go to have your name taken off ALL the lists. As it is now there are a half dozen companies delivering these things, and so you have to track down 6 different ways to get your name off the list.
Posted by Dave J. on October 5, 2009 at 3:12 PM · Report
4
But how will the mainstreaming of the phonebook refusal movement affect Zoobomb?
Posted by Chunty McHutchence on October 5, 2009 at 3:22 PM · Report
5
wonderful language Sarah. I bet your mom would be real proud of you. Think you could have expressed this in a little more adult fashion.
Posted by willy on October 5, 2009 at 5:29 PM · Report
6
@willy: For a guy that has a username that is slang for penis, you aren't exactly one to talk.
Posted by Matthew D on October 5, 2009 at 5:45 PM · Report
7
Wow...people still have Yahoo groups?

I have a business that gets 10-20 phone calls a month from my stupid phone book ad. I don't use them and think about cancelling every year but some people (more importantly my customers) are using them...

I figure when I start to see my customers writing comments on blog posts I'll cancel. Most folks that call me aren't what you'd call internet saavy. Give it a few years, though. Then I'll just have to post on Facebook to get new customers.
Posted by Akres on October 5, 2009 at 6:55 PM · Report
8
I toss these things, the Oregonian's food Day, in the middle of the street.
Posted by NIG GER on October 6, 2009 at 7:30 AM · Report
9
I'd wager that costing them money by making someone come back to your house puts them closer to going out of business, which is the most sustainable option here. So, everybody call and have them pick up their litter!
Posted by ElGordo on October 6, 2009 at 9:02 AM · Report
10
Get a life- There are enough people with out jobs and losing more everyday. You want them to go out of business, why- so you do not have to walk to your recycle can??? Man, be an american and fight for something worth fighting for. Maybe stand up for what our parents and their parents stood up for. Our freedom. We are losing jobs everyday, Obama, Pelosi, Wall Street, and more are taking our tax $ and wasting them. Let's get back on our feet and then fix one thing at a time like we would do in our own homes and businesses.
Stand up for democracy, capitalism, and a govt for the people. Stop your wining about a book and help people keep their jobs so that our economy can grow. My god, are you really whining about a phone book. They will go away when the ads stop working. As you read from above he is still getting over 20 per month. I think that explains that people still use them. Stand up for something important like your future and all our kids futures. Stimulas- trillions of $ wasted. Take that money and give it to every american (legal) over 18 and we will all go out spend it. Problem fixed. Stop whining
Posted by help real issues on October 7, 2009 at 6:40 AM · Report
11
@ hri, yeah that certainly worked well with the Bush rebate checks.....
Posted by abacadaba on October 7, 2009 at 10:47 AM · Report
12
http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/
Posted by Dyea on October 9, 2009 at 2:57 PM · Report
13
To all the vulgar cynical phonebook-hating techno-snobs... There are many people that still use the printed directory. At the business that I used to manage we would get half of our calls from the directory. They are made from recycled material and tree farm bi-products. Tree farms are a sustainable way to help cut carbon dioxide. They are also making their books smaller. They have shifted over to online options but they keep the printed directory (I wounder why they would do that if no one used it). I find it strange that the mercury which wastes so much paper and get's it's revenue from ads would be hosting this heading.
To have someone come to your house and pick up the book would be a shameful wast. We should be trying to keep people working in Oregon and supporting companies that are employing Oregonians.
Posted by Cobb on October 31, 2009 at 7:40 PM · Report
14
Info on opting out can be found at www.yellowpagesoptout.com. I still agree that we should opt in though.
Posted by doughnut on January 15, 2010 at 4:31 PM · Report
15
It does not cost them any extra money to come and pick up the books, most of the time. It just means that some poor guy who already works 10 or 12 hours a day has to use his own gas to come and pick up the book instead of having dinner or spending time with his family. Recycle the book if you don't think you will use it, do something creative with it, or call and "opt-out." You might think you are sticking it to the man when you call and have it picked up without joining the opt-out list, but the message will never reach the top. They make the phone book smaller every year, try to selectively deliver, use recycled materials or waste materials to produce them, and offer the opt-out, so these are all steps in the right direction, don't you think?
Posted by crazynorweegian on January 29, 2010 at 10:27 AM · Report
16
@ Help real issues; you, sir, are an idiot.
Posted by The Beans on January 17, 2011 at 9:54 AM · Report

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