To: The New Jersey State House, The New Jersey State Senate, and Governor Phil Murphy

Adopt a yellow page opt-in only program in New Jersey

New Jersey needs a mandated opt-in program for the Yellow Pages books, rather than an opt-out program. The current voluntary opt-out program does not work, creating unnecessary pollution and placing a burden on municipalities, which have to recycle the books. An opt-in program would be the most efficient system we can have, guaranteeing that only the people who want the books would receive them.

Why is this important?

The current voluntary Yellow Pages opt-out program is not working, it is merely a publicity stunt. I have opted out from receiving these wasteful books for a few years now, and I KEEP RECEIVING THEM EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The manufacturers keep getting away with it because it is a voluntary program and there are no laws to regulate it.

The production of these unnecessary books causes more pollution, wastes natural resources, and wastes public money because municipalities have to deal with recycling them. Lots of them. Most people don't need or use those books, but they continue to be printed and delivered because somebody is making a profit.

An opt-in program would prevent excessive books from being printed, and all people who still wanted them would always be able to sign up to continue to receive them. IT'S NOT A BAN on phone books, it is an optimization of resources. Only people who want the books would be receiving them -- it's common sense!

I would love to see NJ as the first US State to achieve that. Please let's be environmental leaders again.