In today’s socially responsible world, consumers and businesses are paying more attention to the impact they have on the environment. Print media is specifically being examined as to whether or not advertisers’ messages can be conveyed on a more environment-friendly medium. I had a chance to investigate the process of creating a Print Yellow Pages directory a little further and the impact Yellow Pages have on the environment.

A study by the Environmental Protection Agency found that print Yellow Pages account for only 0.3 percent of the municipal solid waste in the United States. This low number is thanks, in part, to directory publishers’ efforts to recycle used directories and use them to create new directories. Wood chips from sawmill by-products, old newspapers and recycled telephone directories are the most common sources for creating directory paper. Virgin trees are rarely cut down for the purpose of making Yellow Pages directories. In addition to using recycled materials to create directory paper, many publishers use soy-based inks, which are less harmful than traditional inks upon the environment in the event a directory makes its way to a landfill. Soy-based inks also require much less effort and energy to remove from paper in the recycling process.

Overall, the creation of a print Yellow Pages directory is less harmful to the environment than one might think. In my opinion, the industry has taken its awareness of the environment to the next level by allowing households to opt out of receiving a directory they do not use. A local search study by TMP Directional Marketing found that nearly one-third of consumers turn to print Yellow Pages as their primary source for local business information. This effort will help reassure that directories are only distributed to those households that rely on them for local business information.

Sources: YPTalk.com; YPAssociation.org; Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 2005 Facts and Figures.