The Big Yellow Book

The only places I see people using phone directories are in movies. They are usually used in interrogation scenes.

I absolutely hate getting them every year. They waste trees, energy, water, human resources, and my time. Even if you are morally ambivalent toward phone books, I’m sure you can agree that in the internet age, they are useless, heavy, and a pain in the ass to get rid off.

Get my point?

I am deeply disturbed that they keep coming every year as jumbo sized junk mails. So I decided to speak up. I emailed the Yellowpages, and actually got a reply the next morning. Here is the conversation:

Title: About the Thick Phone Directories I Get on my Doorstep Every Year

Hi,

I live in Vanocuver, and I get phone directories from you guys every year. It’s very nice of you to deliver them to my doorstep every year, but the truth is, I never use it, period. Whenever I get it I worry about recycling it. I know it’s printed on recycled paper and you guys try to make it as environmentally friendly as possible, but I think not printing them is the most environmentally friendly way to go, at least not for people who don’t use them. Furthermore, it’s potentially an explosive PR issue if environmental groups decide to pick on you guys. I know in Norway a few years back it became a huge national issue that the law mandated the companies to switch to an opt-in model.

Hope you guys can consider it. Oh and please please please don’t send me a canned reply. I absolutely hate that because I have no idea if my message has been read or not. Just something simple would be great, something human.

Thanks for your time,

Scott

Here is the reply:

Title: RE: About the Thick Phone Directories I Get on my Doorstep Every Year

What I can definitly do is pass your information on to marketing and our environmental group just to track public requests and concerns and thank you very much for taking the time to pass on your ideas.It is sort of a mixed bag as some people love the idea of strictly CD version and no paper, but then certain groups of people really do not like using the computer and prefer the book. If there is anything else please feel free to contact me.

So far not very interesting, but I like it that they deal with my email very efficiently.

*****

Note: I published this few months ago on my other blog. I figure this post is worth migrating. I think we need more people write them about this. Just found a Facebook group called The Yellow Pages Must Be Stopped! Funny how they use the same image as I did.

Junk Mails (Again)

[Photo via darkest-star]

I talked about my annoyance toward fake personal junk mails, but I actually hate junk mails in general.

Junk mails are very resource intensive. In the US alone, every year 100 million trees are harvested to make them, and 44% of the time they go straight into trash (source: ForestEthics). This is equivalent to putting an additional 6 million cars on the road (based on the 17 trees per car figure, perhaps an underestimate). It’s ridiculous that by having a mailbox, we involuntarily become part of their wasteful marketing practice.

The solution for most people is actually quite simple according to the Red Dot Campaign. Just put up a sign that says “No Junk Mail”, and you can block most of them (in Canada). I wonder why people aren’t doing it if it’s so simple? My guess is that people are either not aware of this option or not enthusiastic to act on it. After all, sometimes coupons for deliveries do come in handy. You can buy stickers from Red Dot Campaign’s website or print them yourself, but I doubt people would do so unless they are as pissed as I am (pissed enough to blog about it).

I wonder if environmental groups have considered sending out those “NO JUNK MAIL” stickers? Yes, send it out like junk mails. Besides the ideological conflict and the one-time cost, I don’t see why not. I think it will be very effective because it’s simple and effortless for recipients. Just stick it on your mailbox and you are good to go.

I don’t know for sure, but maybe this will work. It could be tested first in one neighborhood, and then monitor the adoption rate a few days later.

If you really can’t live without those delivery coupons, I’m sure when enough people opt-out, they’ll find other ways to give you discounts.

Personally, I’m still trying to catch our postie in the morning because I live in an apartment building with mail slots (shown in my previous post), and I can’t find a spot to show the sticker. I’ll report back.

Healthy Fear in 2009?

[Photo via Michael Mistretta]

Hi I’m back from slacking off.

A lot had happened in 2008: the Olympics, the elections (yes, there were more than one), and the market going apeshit. I’d say 2009 will be an in-between year though. It’s not quite 2010, another symbolic coming of a new decade and the much anticipated Winter Olympics here in Vancouver.

Instead, if the predictions are correct, 2009 will be one crappy year to live through. People worry about how long the recession is going to last and more signs of trouble in environment front.

I remain hopeful though. Could it be that we are in a healthy state of fear?

In 2001, after the dotcom bust and 9/11 attack, people were fearful, governments were able to push through major decisions. Well.. that didn’t go so well. At the same time it showed that, in crisis, people are more willing to cooperate or compromise. If the leader leads, people will follow because the status quo is not working.

Now in 2009, I really really hope Obama and, more importantly, the big brains around him don’t screw up. They have the golden opportunity to make big changes and push through the necessary policies for future generations.

Thomas Friedman says the best. We need a Reboot.