Printed Yellow Pages As An Environmental Source

Your kidding?  Those books that appear magically at people’s door steps that so many Techno-snobs claim they never use??  Here’s just a few recent examples:

From the Red Bluff Daily News, in  Red Bluff,CA:  “The Tehama County Green Pages, located under “recycling” in the AT&T Yellow Pages, provides the answers for most recycling questions. The Green Pages offer tips on how to dispose of items such as appliances, used books, clothing, computers and electronics, fluorescent bulbs, furniture, construction and demolition materials, old records, tapes and CDs, Styrofoam and household chemicals. It also shows residents what to put in their recycling bins.

From a blogger in New York City:  how to recycle cardboard — “Step 6: Check with your county’s department of public works to find out about local curbside recycling programs and community drop-off centers, or look under ‘Recycling’ in the Yellow Pages.”

 A Raleigh, NC blogger:  “Wow, talking about getting off the subject, I wish there were more places to take cans and such near by. I looked in the Yellow Pages and there are a lot of compaines. …”

 Yellow Page publishers — you have a valuable resource which is in every home in your area, and it has tons of valuable information.  Please let people know about it!!!!!!!!!!!

Consumers Giving Up ‘Convenience Packaging’ to Help Environment

Some new research from The Nielsen Company just caught my attention — more than half of U.S. consumers would give up all forms of packaging provided for convenience purposes if it would benefit the environment.

• 58% feel that packaging designed for easy stacking/storing at home is dispensable
• 55% would give up packaging that can be used for cooking, or doubling as a re-sealable container
• 53% don’t need packaging designed for easy transport

Another interesting finding in the research was the range of attitudes toward packaging in different parts of the world.  For example:

• Almost 60% of Europeans and North Americans are willing to give up packaging designed for stacking and storing at home — but only 42% of Asians would be willing to give up these types of convenience packaging
• New Zealanders are the nation most prepared to give up all packaging aspects for the sake of the environment

Specific observations from U.S. households that Yellow Page publishers need to take note of:

• Nearly 80% of consumers make a point of combining shopping trips to save gas most, if not all of the time – hello Yellow Pages.  Sounds like a marketing opportunity to me
• More than half of U.S. consumers claim (I added the emphasis on “claim”) to recycle cans, bottles and/or newspapers all the time  – hello Yellow Pages.  Sounds like some recycling information in the front of the book is a requirement to make the print product even more valuable
• About 40% of consumers will sometimes think to look for products with less packaging –  hello Yellow Pages.  Sounds like an opportunity to highlight more eco-friendly businesses in both print and online products