Opt Out of Yellow Pages Online

ST. PAUL, Minn. - In a bit of news that should be music to the ears of Minneapolis blogger and phone book fighter Ed Kohler , the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is pointing Minnesotans to a website to opt out of phone book delivery.

Link: http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com

The MPCA recommends opt outs because they stop waste from being created in the first place, thus making it even better than recycling. The MPCA says Minnesotans recycle about 20 percent of the 5,000 tons of phone books that are delivered in the state each year.

YellowPagesOptOut.com is the only online opt out service recognized by phone book publishers. Users enter a ZIP code to find the phone book publishers in their area that are participating in opt out requests.

Users must inform each phone book publisher that they would like delivery stopped.

The opt-out takes 60 days to process, so Minnesotans who haven't already may miss the deadline for a few of the phone books this year.

If you have phone books that you need to recycle, contact your county for information on your recycling options or visit http://www.recyclemoreminnesota.org, which has a list of all of the county recycling programs in the state. Most curbside programs take phone books year around.

Opt out by phone

Dex (Qwest) -- Phone 866-606-9339.
Idearc Inc. (Verizon) -- Call 800-888-8448; then select option 2.
Yellow Books USA Inc. -- Call 800-929-3556, then press 2.