Global Action Plan and 192.com recently set up a poll for people to vote on whether they would support an opt-in system for receiving phonebooks.

A huge success

The poll was a huge success with the fifth largest response ever for an environmental campaign.  The results reinforce an independent poll of 1000 UK residents in 2009 which showed that 70 per cent would support an opt-in system for phonebooks.

The results urge the government to establish an opt-in system which will dramatically reduce the waste caused by unnecessary phonebooks.

A chance to make massive carbon savings

Once the system is in place, the amount of carbon saved will be equivalent to a year’s carbon emissions produced by the 8000 residents of the City of London. 

The UK’s councils will also benefit by saving up to £3 million a year by having less phonebook waste to manage. Imagine what else they could do with 3 million pounds!

Global Action Plan CEO, Trewin Restorick, said: “We need to wake up to the fact that new technologies mean we can create less waste by doing more things online. There is no need for everybody in the UK to receive a phonebook (let alone three!) and people should be given the choice of whether they receive books or not.”

Commenting on the e-petition, Dominic Blackburn, Product Director, 192.com said: “The massive response to the Downing Street e-petition shows that people really want to cut out unnecessary paper and the environmental impact it entails. The government has legislated against junk mail, and we hope this e-petition will focus their minds on the weightiest junk mail of all – the phonebook.”

We would like to thank everyone who voted on this poll, it will make a big difference!

See more on the campaign

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