S.F. Yellow Pages ban to be considered ENVIRONMENT

Robert Reed, of the Recycle Central, finds phonebooks in the piles of recycle, Monday January 31, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. The recycling plant processes 750 tons of glass and paper combined a day. It's unknown how much of that are yellow pages and phonebooks, but it is thought of as an environmental problem. Ran on: 02-01-2011 Robert Reed of Recycle Central can find plenty of phone books among the piles of pending recyclables. Jason Naraja, above, Central moves them onto a separate conveyor belt. Ran on: 02-01-2011 Robert Reed of Recycle Central can find plenty of phone books among the piles of pending recyclables. Jason Naraja, above, Central moves them onto a separate conveyor belt. Ran on: 03-22-2011 Robert Reed finds lots of phone books in the piles at Recycle Central. less Robert Reed, of the Recycle Central, finds phonebooks in the piles of recycle, Monday January 31, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. The recycling plant processes 750 tons of glass and paper combined a day. It's ... more Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close S.F. Yellow Pages ban to be considered 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

San Francisco would become the first city in the nation to ban the unsolicited distribution of the Yellow Pages under legislation to be formally introduced today by Board of Supervisors President David Chiu.

The thick volumes, dropped off at nearly every home and office in the city, are becoming increasingly obsolete in the Internet age, Chiu says, and often end up unopened in the recycling bin.

His office estimates that more than 1.5 million Yellow Pages phone books are distributed in San Francisco every year.

"If we're serious about the environment, it's time we recognize that phone books are a 20th century tool that doesn't meet the business or environmental needs of the 21st century," said Chiu.

A trade group said Monday that although it shares some of Chiu's goals, it will consider a legal challenge if his legislation is approved as is.

Seattle first introduced an "opt-out" provision so consumers can halt unsolicited phone book deliveries.

But the San Francisco proposal - touted as the newest green initiative from the city that banned plastic bags - would go much further.

How it would work

Under the proposal, phone companies and other distributors and publishers of Yellow Pages phone books would be barred from leaving them on doorsteps and in lobbies without receiving advance permission.

The Yellow Page companies could contact consumers by e-mail, direct mail, phone solicitations or in person, asking if they would like the directory. If the response is positive, the phone book could be delivered. Consumers also would be able to pick them up at a distribution center.

Unsolicited deliveries, however, could result in fines of up to $500 for each violation. The law would be enforced by the city's Department of the Environment.

The white pages - whose general distribution is mandated by state law - would not be affected. Dual white and Yellow Pages phone books would have to abide by the new restrictions, if they are approved.

Industry concerns

A top representative of the Yellow Pages Association met Monday with Chiu and Mayor Ed Lee to express concerns.

The proposed law "would be an infringement of our constitutional rights - the right to distribute speech," said Amy Healy, vice president of public policy and sustainability of a trade group that represents the $13 billion-a-year industry.

She said that it would unfairly target one industry. Direct-mail companies, phone solicitors and the like would not face the same clampdown, she said.

Her group supports reducing unwanted directories, she said, but through voluntary means. Today, she said, the Yellow Pages Association and the Association of Directory Publishers plan to launch an upgraded website, www.yellowpagesoptout.com, that allows U.S. consumers to choose which phone directories they receive or to stop delivery. Healy said the printed Yellow Pages still play an important role in the consumer industry, with 12 billion lookups annually, according to industry data.

Other bills similar to Chiu's have been introduced, but have not been approved.

Legislation to watch

"Legislatures and citizens will be watching closely to see what happens in San Francisco," said Scott Cassel, executive director of Product Stewardship Institute Inc., a Boston nonprofit that works with government officials on environmental policy initiatives.

The institute, which supports restricting unwanted phone book distributions, estimates that local governments and consumers spend approximately $54 million a year to dispose of phone books and an additional $9 million to recycle them. Lee supports Chiu's legislation in concept, but wants to see how it would affect small businesses and consumers before making a final determination, said mayoral spokesman Tony Winnicker.

More than a dozen businesses contacted by The Chronicle said they no longer advertise in the Yellow Pages. "We get a lot more mileage online," said Carol Covington, owner of Blow Up Lab, a digital photo and graphics business in the city.

But Sharon Goh, owner of Metro Locksmiths Inc., said that for businesses such as hers, the Yellow Pages still play an important role, especially for people who aren't tech-savvy. "The Yellow Pages still bring in business," she said.