Hello Operator, Can You Give Me Number Nein?

The advent of the Internet has left the landscape strewn with old media casualties, but few are shedding tears for the phone book. As we’ve noted on several previous occasions, the doorstep staple has now become an environmental pariah, with several communities and organizations actively trying to force the golden tomes into retirement.

Many areas now allow residents to opt out of receiving phone books. But organizations like the Product Stewardship Institute are pushing for opt-IN legislation that would restrict the delivery of phone books unless a resident has specifically requested them. To promote its Phone Books Action website, the Institute has released a new public service announcement that pointedly asks, “When was the last time YOU used a phone book?”