Husband put up new blinds, I broke a few ornaments and together, we found that more than enough outdoor lights just don't work anymore. So I'm obsessed with where all of the old and/or broken stuff goes. I'm feeling more and more guilty whenever I throw something away, because I can picture it (multiplied by the same disposables from every American) laying in a miserable landfill somewhere.
I received a short rainbow of light from Sarasota Audubon Society today when they posted a great blog on how to eliminate your phone book mailings. (If you're reading a blog and you don't use the Internet to find phone numbers, it could be time for a serious change for you.) Here's what I swiped from their blog:
With the internet & electronic phone books, you may want to “opt out” of receiving a phone book on your front porch. In the USA alone the 540 million directories represent: 19 million trees for paper; 1.6 billion pounds of paper waste; 7.2 million barrels of oil (not including delivery); 268,000 cubic yards of landfill; 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity consumption.
It’s not always easy to opt out and you may have to verify your request annually with each directory provider since these companies collect advertising dollars for every book they give away. Here are a few resources:
- Verizon (800) 888-8448 (press 2)
- Yellowbook (800) 929-3556 (press 3)
- The Real Yellow Pages (866) 326-7200 (press 0) (or just click here)
6 comments:
I agree with the phonebooks... here in the Philippines, we get not one but 4 phonebooks every year and that meant a huge amount of phone books after 5-10years. I found out that we can sell the old books in the junkyard for recycling. And that is what I've been doing every year.
I do my share in helping the environment too starting with saying NO to plastic bags whenever I go shopping or to the grocery. I always bringmy reusable shopping totes with me.
Happy Sunday to you!
Hi Leah! Thanks for your perspective. I've heard that in some countries, like Sweden, the grocery stores don't even provide plastic bags. You have to buy them if you don't bring your own bags. Love that & wish we'd do it here. Thanks for visiting.
I'm always looking for ways to reduce waste--I had similar thoughts about the several strands of lights that worked wonderfully when i packed them up last january but now mysteriously don't (what happens to this stuff, in the off months up in the attic??)
We only have one set of phone books at the Gimcrack. they are kept with that other archaic item, the payphone that only accepts coins.
An excellent idea from a Yellow Pages Ad: when moving house, chap rips out pages to wrap up glassware and oranments etc. When girlfriend calls out 'where are the yellow pages', chap freezes, throws skanky rippable yellow pages into the box and says 'I've packed them'.
Thanks you for those numbers! The phonebooks drive me nuts!! And my local grocery store has eliminated plastic bags, which is good for the environment, but bad for my daily dog-poop pickups!
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