What sorts of things can you do with those phone books piling up on
your porch? The ones you never wanted in the first place? The ones that are really porch spam? One local
blogger has a few answers. And until an opt-in alternative becomes a
reality, a rising crop of phone book artists from all over are
providing unique tips on turning waste into useful objects--and shot
puts.
We've
told you before about local phone book vigilante
Ed Kohler. He's written more than 50 blog posts about the evils of phone books, noting that 85 percent of them wind up in the trash instead of getting recycled.
Kohler and other local phone-book fighters have also pressured lawmakers to create an opt-in alternative so that only those who order phone books receive them. They've even created viral videos (posted below) like the
Phone Book Chuck-It Challenge, calling on angry folks to toss phone book corpses into recycling bins in creative ways to garner more attention around the issue.
So why all the hate? It's pretty simple: Phone book waste is an epidemic. Along with being the cause of excessive deforestation, those bulky books end
their year-long life at incinerators or landfills--and only about 15 percent of the time do they wind up at recycling plants. Nationwide, about 540 million unsolicited
phone books land at doorsteps every year. (In Minneapolis alone, most
residents get three apiece.) Phone books add up to
660,000 tons of trash a year. That's about 1.3 billion pounds of trash.
A year. So here's what you can do:
First, call you local legislator and ask them to support an opt-in alternative. And always, always recycle the ones that do wind up on your porch.
Second, opt out: Go to
www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org
and register to be taken off the distribution list for white and yellow
page phone books.
You can also call your local suppliers/spammers and demand to be removed from their lists:
DEX: 877-243-8339
Yellow Book: 800-929-3556
Verizon: 800-555-4833
Here are some more great ideas for phone books from the
Green Cheapskate blog:
* Window wipes: Perfect for cleaning windows with a simple mixture of vinegar and water.
* Phone book step aerobics: Duct tape them together to use in stair-stepping exercises.
* Papier mache: It's not just for jr. high science fairs anymore.
* Packaging filler: Balled up or shredded.
* Wax paper substitute: Use to separate baked goods and items in the freezer.
Have you own idea? Have your own phone book story?
Share it with us!
(Photo by LuLu Vision)