From Yellow to Green

Wellington newspaper the Dominion Post has been host to an interesting debate with Green Party MP Gareth Hughes writing an opinion piece about the waste involved in printing and distributing phone books. Calling them “the least popular bestsellers of all time,” he says that in the internet age they are more likely to be used to prop up a computer screen than to look up phone numbers, and reckons people should be able to choose if they want the weighty tomes delivered.

Yellow CEO Chris Armistead replied to say that “each week, 840,000 Kiwis use the White Pages a total of two million times,” but claims that his company are already looking into making changes.

So should Kiwis have a choice about receiving phone books?

 

30/01/2013  11:25 am by gottabeegreen

Seems crazy that they still send these out when most people are finding what they want online, sure it would be a huge undertaking to create a database with the names of every NZer who doesn't want a book but come on, it's 2013, Google reigns supreme for search doesn't it!

 

07/02/2013  2:33 pm by Nikki Shadbolt

I don't think they should be sent out at all. I think if you want one you should call a number and request one to be sent to you. I have three phone books at the moment, two local ones and the huge Waikato White/Yellow pages. I never use any of them and it has always frustrated me the amount of waste they create. It's quicker for me to get a phone number online than to look it up in a phone book.

 

07/02/2013  4:20 pm by kiwilassee

They've definitely gotta go. I would happily sign a petition / write a letter / send an email to the CEO and tell him that! It's time to move with the times and stop wasting all that paper just for 'old-times' sake. Let people OPT IN rather than OPT OUT.

 

08/02/2013  8:47 am by Tui

I think people should opt in if they want one. I have used my yellow pages several times in the last month but could use the Internet just as easily.

 

18/04/2013  2:44 pm by Karen Gibson

One of our pet hates is seeing the yellow pages books rotting in their ghastly plastic bags, at the foot of letterboxes, weeks after they've been delivered. Last year my husband went round collecting and recycling them (bless him), and gathering the bags to use for doggy doo LOL! But yeah, it's not funny. It's a hideous waste, but as an advertising/marketing professional, I understand Yellow's dilemma with reducing its distribution for client ads. I think they need to 'bite the bullet', and allow 'opt in'. Or at the very least, opt out.

 

18/04/2013  2:46 pm by Greg Roughan - Green Ideas editor

Yeah, a tough one for their business - but I don't think they'll gain anything from sitting on their hands!

 

06/06/2013  7:20 am by Talia Clark

Who uses phone books anymore?? We should be able to Opt Out... Australia has the option to Opt Out - why doesn't NZ?

 

25/10/2013  9:54 am by Teaza

I agree that they are a wasted item. Having been involved with distributing them in the past as a school fundraiser ....a mammoth undertaking in the rain...I think an opt in deal would be great. We usually pick them up from the letterbox and place them straight into our recycle bin. Sad but true.