A petition for an opt-in system for paper directories organised by online directory 192.com has attracted 12,129 signatures. At the same time a similar campaign in Holland is gaining momentum.

The petition, which closed this week, ranks third in the category 'Environment' on the 10 Downing Street website and is now awaiting a response from the Prime Minister's Office.

The 'Say No To Phone Books' campaign is supported by the charity Global Action Plan and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. In February the Local Government Association also threw in its weight by calling paper directories "as outdated as the Betamax video".

Holland

Meanwhile, a Dutch MP has called for a central opt-in scheme for paper directories to be introduced in the Netherlands. The Dutch can already cancel the combined phone book / Yellow Pages by sending in an opt-out card printed in the book or via the directory's website. The opt-out was introduced earlier this year after more than 20,000 people signed a petition organised by campaigners. However, a consumer affairs program claimed this week that nearly 60 per cent of the Dutch feel that an opt-out system doesn't go far enough.

The three main directories delivered door-to-door in the UK have so far refused to advertise its opt-out schemes. Householders can cancel any of the three directories via Junk Buster.

Links

• Say No To Phone Books Petition (number10.gov.uk)
• Say No To Phone Books Campaign (saynotophonebooks.org)
• Cancel directories using Junk Buster (junkbuster.org.uk)