Why is this not littering?

[madurobob]

I live in a rural area. About once every quarter some bozo drives by and tosses out a new phone book. It lands at the top of the driveway near the mailbox. Sometimes its just white pages, sometimes just yellow pages, sometimes both. The publishers rotate, too. Sometimes AT&T, sometimes Verizon, etc... But there is always a new phone book like clockwork every quarter.

Now, I don't have a cell phone nor do I have a land line at home. I get my phone service via VOIP. None of the companies that "send" me phone books are ones I do business with. Yet the phone books keep coming.

Phone books for my County alone over a year have to account for hundreds of thousands of pounds of paper and thousands of gallons of oil to make and deliver. Does anybody use them? I sure don't; I haven't cracked a phone book in a decade. But the phone books keep coming.

The County I live in has one landfill and has given up trying to site another one. The current landfill will be "full" by the end of 2010 and we will begin trucking our refuse down the interstate to less populated counties down East. Its gonna be expensive. Reducing input to the landfill/transfer station is a big priority. But the phone books keep coming.

If I drove down the road and tossed a pack of cigarettes into each driveway I'd assuredly be arrested, tarred and feathered before the end of my first day. Why is it the phone companies aren't treated the same for their phone book litter?

Is it the same where you live? We need to start a phone book revolution!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

IIRC, AT&T announced that this was the last year for the white pages, at least where I live.

[Arus808]

Keep in mind that those that deliver the phonebook are usually not employees of said Telephone companies; they are contracted to just take a pallet of books and blanket a neighborhood.

Its not littering, in the same sense that handbills or fliers posted to your door is not littering.


That's alright, I just consider it free recycling materials i can use when packing boxes for my customers. Phone book pages are nice free paper to shred.

[madurobob]

IIRC, AT&T announced that this was the last year for the white pages, at least where I live.

That's a move in the right direction. I'm sure somehow I'm paying for all these phone books... that I didn't ask for and never use. And its such a waste:

I just stumbled across this site (http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/about.html) a moment ago
Over 500 million of these directories are printed every year. That is nearly two books for every person in the country! These directories produce a staggering amount of waste, not only in terms of misused natural resources but also in filling of valuable landfill space.

To produce 500 million books:

* 19 million trees need to be harvested
* 1.6 billion pounds of paper are wasted
* 7.2 million barrels of oil are misspent in their processing (not including the wasted gas used for their delivery to your doorstep)
* 268,000 cubic yards of landfill are taken up
* 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity are squandered

[madurobob]

Its not littering, in the same sense that handbills or fliers posted to your door is not littering.

On my door?! Oh, they sure as hell better not!

So, I can toss cigarettes into everyone's driveway and its not littering? Makes me wonder just what is littering. I may need a lawyer...

[Arus808]

you're comparing apples to oranges however.

How is a cigarette butt, in any shape or form, an advertising flier, informational pamphlet or a telephone book?

[madurobob]

you're comparing apples to oranges however.

How is a cigarette butt, in any shape or form, an advertising flier, informational pamphlet or a telephone book?

No, no, no.. not cigarette butts, actual cigarettes, un-smoked, in the pack.

How is it legal to advertise your wares on my door? My private property?

[Alt+F4]

So, I can toss cigarettes into everyone's driveway and its not littering? Makes me wonder just what is littering. I may need a lawyer...

It depends on where you live but I would think phone books aren't litter because they aren't waste, meaning you can still use it for it's intended purpose.

As for the cigarette toss, isn't it illegal to pass out free cigarettes on the street?

[AvalonXQ]

On my door?! Oh, they sure as hell better not!

So, I can toss cigarettes into everyone's driveway and its not littering? Makes me wonder just what is littering. I may need a lawyer...

Part of the definition of littering is that what you're throwing is "waste". Tossing out a cigarette butt is littering, but if you delivered a full pack of cigarettes to someone's house, it would not be littering.
It's a question of the nature of the item and the intent of throwing it. There are much easier ways to get rid of flyers than to distribute them one to a house, and nobody seriously believes that disposal is the reason they're being passed out that way.

[madurobob]

It depends on where you live but I would think phone books aren't litter because they aren't waste, meaning you can still use it for it's intended purpose.

As for the cigarette toss, isn't illegal to pass out free cigarettes on the street?

I honestly don't know, but I guess there could be an age-limit issue. Maybe cigarettes was a bad plan. How about candy cigarettes?

ETA: no, a better idea: thong underwear. I can toss out underwear and its not littering, right?

[Alt+F4]

How is it legal to advertise your wares on my door? My private property?

Perhaps phone books fall under the category of junk mail, also forced advertising on private property?

[AvalonXQ]

How is it legal to advertise your wares on my door? My private property?

Many communities have laws against this, and in many places you can even run afoul of normal tresspassing laws for doing this. But that doesn't mean it's littering.

[madurobob]

It's a question of the nature of the item and the intent of throwing it. There are much easier ways to get rid of flyers than to distribute them one to a house, and nobody seriously believes that disposal is the reason they're being passed out that way.

OK, I guess that makes sense. And this may come in handy when our landfill closes next Fall. Anything "useful" I no longer want I can load into my car and toss into other people's driveways. As long as my intent is to be helpful and nice (perhaps I should attach a note) and I don't toss out so much in one spot that I can be charged with "dumping"

Sorry - don't mean to be overly sarcastic. I get the point. I don't like it, but I get it.

[madurobob]

Many communities have laws against this, and in many places you can even run afoul of normal tresspassing laws for doing this. But that doesn't mean it's littering.

:) around here that'd be called "getting shot at"

[Tiktaalik]

I get 6 free phone books at home & an equal number at work each year.

Everyone in several counties around here could fit in just one. It's definitely a waste, but I do use the paper versions since I have dial-up internet.

They make good fire-starter...

[Ravynn123]

what about those annoying flyers left on cars in a parking lot or even in my own driveway?

[GreenLines]

With Yellow Pages, when delivering there are some addresses that we are told not to deliver to. This would make me think that you could contact them and asked to not have a book delivered to your address.

I delivered a couple routes for them a few years back. Fun times.

[Gate2501]

I live in NE Ohio, and I have considered getting a pike in my front yard to impale them(the phone books) on as sign to future would-be phone book trespassers.

Rotten kids would probably just take my pike though.

[tkingdoll]

I live in an apartment block of about 40 apartments. It's a very large building, and a few weeks ago the Yellow Pages delivery people simply dumped all 40 copies in the communal area, presumably for us to 'help ourselves'. I was furious. The building maintenance people removed them very quickly (apart from anything they're a fire hazard as well as breaking building rules), and hopefully complained to the distribution company, but I do wonder how Yellow Pages feel about their book not getting to householders because of the laziness of the contractors.

[madurobob]

what about those annoying flyers left on cars in a parking lot or even in my own driveway?
Yep- those too! That should also be a shooting offense (and probably has been in some Wal-Mart parking lot somewhere).


With Yellow Pages, when delivering there are some addresses that we are told not to deliver to. This would make me think that you could contact them and asked to not have a book delivered to your address.

I delivered a couple routes for them a few years back. Fun times.

Its worth a shot, and I'll look for a way to do this. But, I remain skeptical that there is really a "do not deliver" list. On my l-o-n-g road every driveway had a fresh phone book on Sunday - even one tobacco barn.

[Vic Vega]

:) around here that'd be called "getting shot at"

Or illegal disposal of toxic waste for dumping lead.

[The Painter]

I live in a rural area. About once every quarter some bozo drives by and tosses out a new phone book. It lands at the top of the driveway near the mailbox. Sometimes its just white pages, sometimes just yellow pages, sometimes both. The publishers rotate, too. Sometimes AT&T, sometimes Verizon, etc... But there is always a new phone book like clockwork every quarter.

Now, I don't have a cell phone nor do I have a land line at home. I get my phone service via VOIP. None of the companies that "send" me phone books are ones I do business with. Yet the phone books keep coming.

Phone books for my County alone over a year have to account for hundreds of thousands of pounds of paper and thousands of gallons of oil to make and deliver. Does anybody use them? I sure don't; I haven't cracked a phone book in a decade. But the phone books keep coming.

The County I live in has one landfill and has given up trying to site another one. The current landfill will be "full" by the end of 2010 and we will begin trucking our refuse down the interstate to less populated counties down East. Its gonna be expensive. Reducing input to the landfill/transfer station is a big priority. But the phone books keep coming.

If I drove down the road and tossed a pack of cigarettes into each driveway I'd assuredly be arrested, tarred and feathered before the end of my first day. Why is it the phone companies aren't treated the same for their phone book litter?

Is it the same where you live? We need to start a phone book revolution!

So in this horrible economy that Obama keeps driving down, you want to take a job away from some poor bastard that is barely getting by delivering phone books. Edited to remove inappropriate remark.

Please keep in mind the Membership Agreement and do not use personal attacks to argue your point.

[madurobob]

So in this horrible economy that Obama keeps driving down, you want to take a job away from some poor bastard that is barely getting by delivering phone books. Edited to remove quoted remark.

So, in this time when trees are disappearing at a record pace, oil usage continues to grow as do oil prices, and landfills across the country are overflowing, you advocate for increased oil use, increased pollution, increased use of timber products and increased landfill use. Heartless dickness abounds.

[XBoxWarrior]

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

a) the paper is recycled

b) it's keeping people employed, locally (they ain't stealing your stuff)

c) it's a renewable source

d) not so great fire starter

e) equal to newspaper for cleaning windows (saves paper towels)

f) Are you the guy that just waits for lingering kids to yell,



GET OFF MY LAWN!!11111

[ZirconBlue]

You can try www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

[madurobob]

f) Are you the guy that just waits for lingering kids to yell,



GET OFF MY LAWN!!11111

They're welcome on my lawn if they leave those damned phone books in the car. Hell, I've even share a beer with them.

[madurobob]

You can try www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

That looks promising! I have five phone calls to make tomorrow, according to that site. It gave me a website for AT&T, but that site sent me in loop "click here to order or adjust the number of directories you receive" Click there, come to another page with "Click here to adjust the number of directories..." clicking there takes me back to the first page!

[CelticRose]

I'm sure somehow I'm paying for all these phone books... that I didn't ask for and never use.
The advertisers pay for them. What I don't understand is why some companies are still willing to pay for yellow pages ads when nobody uses the yellow pages anymore. I and everyone I know just throw the books straight into the recycling bin.

[madurobob]

I and everyone I know just throw the books straight into the recycling bin.

That's what I wish the delivery guys would do - eliminate the middle man!

[GreenLines]

I live in an apartment block of about 40 apartments. It's a very large building, and a few weeks ago the Yellow Pages delivery people simply dumped all 40 copies in the communal area, presumably for us to 'help ourselves'. I was furious. The building maintenance people removed them very quickly (apart from anything they're a fire hazard as well as breaking building rules), and hopefully complained to the distribution company, but I do wonder how Yellow Pages feel about their book not getting to householders because of the laziness of the contractors.

By their contract they have to deliver. If no one is immediately available from management, dump and move onto the next building.

Its worth a shot, and I'll look for a way to do this. But, I remain skeptical that there is really a "do not deliver" list. On my l-o-n-g road every driveway had a fresh phone book on Sunday - even one tobacco barn.

It's not so much a "do not deliver".

__123 fake street
__125 fake street
__127 fake street
-- Do not deliver to 129 fake street --

For each household they're supposed to write down how many books were delivered, usually it's only businesses that take more then one.

I think this was about how it looked. Probably not remembering it correctly though.

[ZirconBlue]

That looks promising! I have five phone calls to make tomorrow, according to that site. It gave me a website for AT&T, but that site sent me in loop "click here to order or adjust the number of directories you receive" Click there, come to another page with "Click here to adjust the number of directories..." clicking there takes me back to the first page!

I tried the AT&T one, and basically followed the process that seemed like I was ordering phone books, but at the end, set all books to "Change to" and put the new quantity as zero. I hope that works.

[madurobob]

I tried the AT&T one, and basically followed the process that seemed like I was ordering phone books, but at the end, set all books to "Change to" and put the new quantity as zero. I hope that works.

?? It wouldn't let me get that far. Maybe I had a cookie blocked. I'll clear cache and try again.

ETA: Oops, I had cookies turned off altogether:blush:

[WildCat]

So, in this time when trees are disappearing at a record pace, oil usage continues to grow as do oil prices, and landfills across the country are overflowing, you advocate for increased oil use, increased pollution, increased use of timber products and increased landfill use. Heartless dickness abounds.
Paper is made from trees grown just for that purpose, or from scraps too small to be made into lumber.

Trees are not disappearing, at least in North America. We probably have more trees now than at any time in the last 300 years. Ever see outdoor pictures from the Civil War era? Nary a tree in sight, just barren hills and fields in areas which today are covered with forest, especially near towns and cities. Mostly, of course, since we don't burn wood for fuel any more.

[Eyeron]

OR you can see what the Mythbusters did with a very unusual myth involving phonebooks.

[madurobob]

Paper is made from trees grown just for that purpose, or from scraps too small to be made into lumber.
Imagine what productive use we could put that land to if we didn't have 500 million useless phone books created every year, consuming 19 million trees each year.

Trees are not disappearing, at least in North America. We probably have more trees now than at any time in the last 300 years. Ever see outdoor pictures from the Civil War era? Nary a tree in sight, just barren hills and fields in areas which today are covered with forest, especially near towns and cities. Mostly, of course, since we don't burn wood for fuel any more.
Yup - certainly true here in NC. 3% forested in 1900, something like 12% forested today. But, mostly that's due to the decline of the "naval stores" industry once dominated by the now gone long leaf pine forests of the East Coast. Our new scrubby hardwood forests aren't good for much but firewood and raising deer.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I live in an apartment block of about 40 apartments. It's a very large building, and a few weeks ago the Yellow Pages delivery people simply dumped all 40 copies in the communal area, presumably for us to 'help ourselves'. I was furious. The building maintenance people removed them very quickly (apart from anything they're a fire hazard as well as breaking building rules), and hopefully complained to the distribution company, but I do wonder how Yellow Pages feel about their book not getting to householders because of the laziness of the contractors.

I don't know about your building, but they do the same thing in mine, only because the lobby is all the farther they can get.

[GreenLines]

Imagine what productive use we could put that land to if we didn't have 500 million useless phone books created every year, consuming 19 million trees each year.

Just send them to be recycled with the regular stuff. No major waste involved.

[Riayn]

I would love it if my country (Australia) had a system where you could request not to be sent either the white or yellow pages. This would prevent hundreds of thousands of unwanted phone books for even being made.
Unfortunately, recycling doesn't get back 100% of the materials that went into the phone book being made in the first place. Then you have the transport costs from the warehouse to my house to the recycling station to factor in. Just let us say we don't want the things and save the cost.

[rjh01]

I think they should stop delivering these phone books. If you want some, go to the post office where you have the choice of paper or a CD. It is much easier to use the internet for such things now.

Just before they deliver the books are 12 months out of date.

[madurobob]

I think they should stop delivering these phone books. If you want some, go to the post office where you have the choice of paper or a CD. It is much easier to use the internet for such things now.

Just before they deliver the books are 12 months out of date.

As I understand it, there is law in every state requiring phone companies to provide telephone directories to their customers. How that means I get four directories from four different companies none of which I do business with is unclear to me. But, it probably shelters the phone companies from any legal recourse.

Phone books should only be delivered to the phone company's customers and any customer receiving electronic statements rather than paper should get an e-mail with a link rather than a paper phone book. That alone would cut down on the massive waste that is the phone book industry.

[Lanzy]

what about those annoying flyers left on cars in a parking lot or even in my own driveway?

In your driveway it is littering, but you're pretty much screwed unless the wind blows it down the street for you. On your car? I think they just missed the ground, so I help them out and try again for them.:D