With the advent of online access at home and ubiquitous use of smartphones, the traditional printed telephone book is going the way of the dodo. Yet competing companies across the country are still churning out the archaic directories and delivering them unbidden to millions of people annually. Many receive multiple publications that, although they can be recycled, still add up to a tremendous waste of resources and an unnecessary burden on landfills.

Now an industry-sponsored online opt-out registry, YellowPagesOptOut.com, has been established to provide a convenient way for residents to choose which directories they want to receive or to stop delivery. At least 12 weeks are required to process an opt-out request.