Out with the old, in with the new. It’s a sign of the times when cities are passing ordinances to allow citizens to op-out of receiving something that was once a staple of every coat closet. As internet usage continues to grow, and users can find everything they need in a few keystrokes. Seattleites and a few other cities around the country can op-out of receiving their five pound paperweight…literally
Yellow Pages used to advertise “let your fingers do the walking.” Starting Thursday, Seattleites can let their fingers do the typing to keep the hefty directories from piling up on their porches.
Under a new city ordinance, if a directory is delivered to a resident who has used the website www.seattle.gov/stopphonebooks at least 30 days before the scheduled delivery, yellow-pages publishers can be fined up to $125. The ordinance also imposes a 14-cent fee for every book delivered.
The crackdown — the first of its kind in the nation — is being championed by City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who says residents are tired of phone books cluttering their houses. On top of that, O’Brien says, 2 million yellow-pages books are recycled in Seattle every year at a cost of $350,000.
“The city of Seattle cares about the environment and it’s extremely frustrating to return home someday to find five pounds of yellow pages on your porch that you’re never going to use,” O’Brien said.
Neg Norton, president of the Local Search Association — formerly the Yellow Pages Association — pointed out that his group has its own website that he says can handle opt-out requests. He worries a second website will confuse consumers.