How to Recycle Phone Books

Because phone books are made of paper, their pages are 100 percent recyclable. However, magnets and other contaminants inside the directory and spines might make them difficult to recycle. It is best to check your local guidelines for recycling to ensure you have prepped your phone book properly before tossing it in a bin.

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Frequent Phone Book Recycling Questions

Can I recycle the entire phone book or do I need to remove the binding?

Your entire phone book can be recycled, including the binding. However, sometimes phone books are delivered with extra items such as a plastic bag or magnets and those should be separated prior to recycling.

How do I opt-out of getting phone books?

If you won’t use a printed phone book, opting out offers some great green advantages. Creating and delivering a phone book requires energy, fuel, paper and other resources that can all be saved in advance. Just visit the National Yellow Pages consumer choice opt-out site and opt out of receiving them, or customize your delivery options so that you only get the books you want.

Are phone books made from recycled paper?

Most phone books are manufactured using post-consumer recycled materials and wood by-products, making them sustainably sourced.

How many people still use phone books?

According to the Local Search Association, 70 percent of consumers still prefer to receive a printed phone book every year.

Whether it’s because they’re in a rural area that offers limited internet access, a smaller community where businesses aren’t online o perhaps they are less tech-savvy, there are still circumstances in which people rely on phone books for their directory information.

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