YPA Adds “Think Green” Column
The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) stepped up its efforts to inform and educate by today introducing the “Think Green Column” on its “Yellow is Green” Environmental Web site.
YPA indicates the Think Green Columns will appear monthly to share opinions, ideas and even historical perspectives on the environment and the yellow pages.
In its press release, Neg Norton, president of YPA said:
“As Yellow Pages are the lifeline for many small businesses trying to reach ready-to-buy consumers, it’s imperative for our organization to provide a forum where yellow pages and environmental industry influencers can share their views and break new ground,”
The inaugural issue features John Howell from Nippon Paper Industries’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Drawing on his nearly 30 years of working in the yellow pages paper industry, he discusses the paper supply challenges facing the Yellow Pages industry today including increased demand from China for fiber; low fiber availability due to the housing market decline; and environmental pressures from proposed Yellow Pages legislation. John was instrumental in helping YP Talk with its extensive article on “How Paper is Made”.
Kudo’s to YPA for adding this effort. The more positive conversation we can generate, the better it will be for the industry overall. There are still plenty of uninformed advertisers and users that need to hear the real story behind what the industry provides.
Green Pages In the Print Yellow Pages
Kudo’s to AT&T for a new partnership with Hutchinson, KS’s “Green Team” (link to full story). A proposal will go before the Hutchinson City Council for final approval next week for a four-page insert listing area recyclers, educational information about recycling, Web links and more in the upcoming December edition of the Reno County (KS) area directory .
The Green Team is a group of city staff and citizens who are working on recycling issues in the town, and the Green Pages project was born out of the Team’s desire to update a Reno County recycling brochure that was distributed by the health department nearly a decade ago.
Because they “didn’t want to print a bunch of material that would end up in trashcans” (Meryl Dye, Green Team member) the group approached the AT&T yellow pages about having green pages. In exchange for the green pages inclusion on the AT&T phone book, the Green Team will promote the AT&T’s sponsorship of the project.
Because the book is provided to every house hold in the area, the local government can be assured that residents have ready access to the recycling information they need.
And all this in a printed Yellow Pages.
Let the market decide
One of the arguments that the industry makes to the anti-print Yellow Pages crowd who get so twisted that they receive 6, 7, or more directories a year at their doorstep, is that the marketplace will ultimately decided which products survive and prosper, and which exit the business.
With the unprecedented growth in book publishing over the past few years, outside of a few very small, somewhat dubious publishers, there really haven’t been many cases we could definitively point to where that was true, until yesterday.
Reports from various sources (Kelsey Group, others) indicate that Idearc will cease production of some 28 independent directory titles which amounts to some 7.6 million copies (or about 6% of their total distribution). This will also result in about 200 people being laid-off and several offices being closed.
What brought this about? Current economic conditions certainly where a contributor but the growing volume of Yellow Pages in some markets will just not support the level of small business leads needed to provide the ROI required by advertisers. In effect, too much competition diluted what every publisher could offer to its advertisers.
As a result, the marketplace decided which products should continue and which should leave.
YPG connecting eco-friendly sellers with eco-conscious buyers
Kudos to the Yellow Pages Group (YPG) which today announced the launch of a pilot project an “EcoFinder” directory section to promote businesses that provide environmentally-preferable products or services or that have leading environmental operational practices. Here is link to company press release.
During the month of May, residents of Laval, Saint-Eustache, Sainte-Thérèse, and Terrebonne, will receive the enhanced Yellow Pages with this new section. The introduction of this new section follow a recent YPG survey which revealed that 93% of Quebec residents thought the creation of a section like this was a good idea and 88% confirmed that they would like both a print and online version.
Who says that print Yellow Pages can’t be the preferred source for environmental oriented shopping information?? With it’s wide distribution in the community, you would have to believe that other publishers will also jump on this trend which further supports the value of Yellow Pages in these environmentally sensitive times…
Publishers Are Making Efforts to be Green
While many of the bloggers and other phone book haters don’t want to believe it, the Yellow Page industry has once again stepped up its efforts to be even more environmentally friendly.
Even though the industry uses no virgin trees to make its paper (earlier post here), water soluble inks, and glues that allow the entire book to be recycled, now the Yellow Pages Association (YPA), in concert with the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), announced formal Joint Environmental Guidelines for the directory publishing industry.
Already the guidelines have been adopted by most major publishers representing some 90+ percent of the industry output. The Guidelines focus on source reduction of directories (white and yellow), enhanced recycling programs and environmentally sensitive manufacturing practices.
So DO NOT believe the many bogus blog posts you read that the industry is responsible for cluttering landfills (directories are only about .3% of the total waste stream), that we are wasting precious resources (publishers use on average about 40% recycled content in their paper), or that they will not allow people to opt out of their products. It just ain’t true.
But those so vehemently insist THEY don’t want a book — how are you going to find that local computer repair store when your PC is busted???? Maybe you should keep at least one of those print “dinosaurs” around just in case.
An Opportunity to Make it More Than Just a Bag
A recent YP Talk article (link) presented an interesting focus on an often over-looked product – the plastic bag in which print Yellow Pages are delivered.
The article covers opportunities for publishers in three areas – the functionality of the bags, the branding messages the bags can have, and the green/environmental aspects. It is that last one item that is the subject of this commentary.
We all know plastic bags in general have become a huge environmental issue. A separate website has even been set up (click here) regarding them and nearly every food store/supermarket has begun programs to either eliminate bags in favor of reusable bags, or has strongly encouraged recycling of old bags (one example).
The newest opportunity for Yellow Page publishers is to consider the use of new post-consumer recycled bags (plastics recovered from a previous use and remanufactured). “Post-consumer resin” is a term used to describe material that has been reused or recycled after it has been in the consumer’s hands. This could include plastic products such as beverage/food containers, agricultural use plastic sheeting or retail bags. The use of Post-consumer plastic content in a flexible packaging product offers several advantages:
- A portion of the raw material used to make a Polyethylene bag (starting at 30 to 50 percent) is derived from recovered plastic. The use of non-renewable natural gas and/or oil is reduced.
- Purchasing post-consumer resin helps support the entire recycling process and helps create jobs in North America. Materials must be collected, sorted and reprocessed back into usable recycled plastic resin.
- Raw materials such as plastic are diverted away from landfill locations. Valuable land is saved and energy contained within the plastic is recovered.
- Post-Consumer plastic materials can also be recycled again back into finished plastic products.
“We have a range of products which are truly greener than many of the options publishers are currently using” was what we were told by Peter Taylor at Discovery Packaging. Not only that, “we are ready to work with publishers to help them redesign their bags to reduce the amount of plastics they are using” Taylor continued.
But Discovery is not stopping there. “We introduced our first ‘green’ film as a start. By mid to late 2008 we plan to introduce a new line of sustainable bio-based films made using raw materials derived from corn, switch-grass or sugarcane. As effective film alternatives are identified and developed we plan to offer these to our customers. We look forward to working with publishers on these new eco-friendlier products”
Taylor makes several good points:
- Use post-consumer recycled materials
- Cut down on the size of the bag and/or reduce the gauge of the bag to use less plastics- Consider switching to new “green” film
- Communicate to the users what you are doing in your publisher efforts that are eco-oriented
Publishers do have options. Discovery Packaging is certainly one of them they should consider.
Recycling Information At Your Finger Tips – In the PRINTED Yellow Pages
It seems like the Napa Valley area in California has some issues lately with recycling. Local officials are noting that whether it’s the soft economy or maybe even the rise in home foreclosures, but the number of illegal garbage dumps is growing. People seem to think nothing of pushing that old worn out sofa or dead car battery to the curb, or even worse, to the backend of a dark, dead-end street. “The word is out. If you put something on the street, the city will pick up,” said Steve Barragan, a public works worker quoted in a recent Napa Valley Register article.
The local paper did its part in providing online readers a list of how to properly get rid of their junk the correct way. By one comment that caught my eye was this one:
“…For more information, check out the recycling guide in the Yellow Pages of the AT&T phone book or call 257-9292…”.
Yes, those supposedly tree killing, non-eco-friendly AT&T print Yellow Pages that many online bloggers have voiced their objection to actually have a garbage and recycling insert. This little example points to an important trend that print publishers can follow in the growing green/environmental war – the print Yellow Pages being a reference source that doesn’t require a broadband connection, or a pc to access for important, relevant information on how to be more eco-freidnly in detail.
More and more I am seeing websites that provide environmental tips including comments like this one:
Recycling Fact Sheet: Create a local recycling fact sheet for yourself and interested neighbors. The local Yellow Pages, Internet Consumer Recycling Guide and Recycling Resources are great resources.
(Source: http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm)
The easiest predication you can make for 2008 for Yellow Page print publishers is that every directory will have green/eco-tips in them. And what a great branding, marketing, and public relations opportunity!!! What other source will be readily available in over 90+% of all homes year round?? The print Yellow Pages, of course.
Kudo’s to Valley YP
Missed an opportunity to commend Valley YP for their efforts noted in a late November release which contained the following (I have added bold highlighting to key comments):
The new eco-friendly Napa Valley Yellow Pages directory is currently being distributed to over 50,000 area businesses and households. Valley Yellow Pages’ eco-friendly approach developed a more environmentally friendly product. All Valley Yellow Pages directories have always been 100% recyclable, but now the new Napa directory is printed using 35% recycled materials, recyclable soybean-based ink as well as recyclable glue! “Not only are we committed to providing our customers with a convenient and user-friendly tool for finding local information, but we are also dedicated to protecting the environment,” states Sieg Fischer, President and CEO of Valley Yellow Pages. “By constantly refining the composition of our directories, we are contributing to the commitment of recycling and saving the environment.”The Napa Valley Yellow Pages directory features a comprehensive Recycling Guide, found under “R” in the yellow pages. This guide provides information on business and residential recycling programs as well as information on recyclable products. Curbside Collection and Drop-off Locations are also listed in the guide, making it easy for consumers to recycle. Valley Yellow Pages has partnered with the City and County of Napa to become increasingly more ecologically conscious. The Recycling Guide is funded by the City and County of Napa, NRWS/NCRWS, Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, Napa-Vallejo Waste Management Authority, California Integrated Waste Management Board and the California Department of Conservation.
Consumers can also visit www.MyYP.com for an online directory of local businesses. This site features the same community-based content as the printed book, but also includes the ability to click through to an advertiser’s website. Through MyYP.com, residents now have access to Valley Yellow Pages information at their fingertips anywhere, anytime.
Congrats to Valley for spreading the word on what they are doing to be eco-friendly…
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Kudo’s to AT&T
The Greening of Corporate America blog has noted the efforts of AT&T to be more environmental friendly, aka “green”.
Among their efforts are reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, waste minimization efforts (teleconferencing, videoconferencing, electronic commerce, e-billing, etc.), reuse/recycle efforts in the Cingular cellular side, and grants for research.
Specific to their Yellow Pages operation, the blog notes that:
“…AT&T Yellow Pages directories are printed on paper containing more than 40 percent post-consumer recycled content and are produced with an intent to be recycled. Books are recycled into new phone books, news print, cardboard boxes, compost, insulation and other household products…”
In an era where all we seem to hear are the bad things that publishers are supposedly doing, all Yellow Page industry participants need to make 2008 the year we set the record straight on the many good things industry members are doing, such as the largest Yellow Page publisher in the world.
Kudo’s to AT&T.
Kudo’s to Yell
One of the publishers that has most proactive in trying to improve its environment image in the marketplace has been the Yell Group (parent of Yellow Book) in the UK.
You will constantly see little notes about recycling contests (example), discussions of how they are working with local governments (full corporate responsibility report), and even a page to help consumer find the nearest recycling points.
It is a great example that publishers do care about the world we all live in…
