More than 70% of Americans do not use phone books – but virgin paper production for them fells 4.68 million trees every year and disposing or recycling those books costs local government $60 million each year.

How can we reduce the production of unwanted phone books and protect the environment? Extended producer responsibility. PSI works to enact EPR legislation for packaging and paper products  that would shift responsibility for phone book recycling from taxpayers to producers. We also support national voluntary opt-out solutions for phone books and junk mail. In 2007, PSI worked with the phone book publishing industry and our government members to develop a national opt-out system that makes sure phone books are only delivered to people who use them.

Unfortunately, after we worked with Seattle and San Francisco to enact opt-out and opt-in ordinances, phone book publishers sued Seattle. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that phone books are protected under free speech, which effectively blocked similar legislation.

However, we continue to work towards a national opt-out system. In 2014 and 2015, PSI issued phone book sustainability report cards that prompted improvements from publishers, and our public education campaigns – conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2018 – resulted in more than 30,000 opt-outs.

What can you do? Visit the National Yellow Pages Consumer Choice & Opt-Out Site. Then, learn where to recycle or safely dispose of phone books in your community.

If you’re a PSI Member or Partner, search our Resource Library for in-depth information and educational materials about phone book stewardship and our Legislation Library for a history of phone book EPR bills and laws in the U.S.