State Regulators Stop Automatic Delivery of Phone Books

The move could save over a thousand tons of waste per year.

KTLA News

5:01 p.m. PDT, June 18, 2011

SACRAMENTO (KTLA) -- California residents will soon have to go digital to look up business listings after state regulators approved a request from Verizon to end deliveries of phone books.

Earlier this month, the California Public Utilities Commision granted the telecommunications giant's request to dump those pesky books in favor of an online electronic version.

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The decision is expected to save an estimated 1,870 tons of material from California's waste stream.

Customers can opt for a free CD-rom version or formally request to continue to receive the traditional printed volume.

Enviromental advocates estimate as many as 5 million trees are cut down each year to create the printed directories.

"The PUC's decision to allow Verizon to end the automatic delivery of residential white pages listings is good news for California consumers and the environment," says Tim McCallion, president of Verizon's West region.

The city of San Francisco has already approved a ban against phone book deliveries from all providers.