Sick of yellow pages? Seattle establishes 'opt out' list

The Emerald City is trying to get the yellow out.

The City Council on Monday passed an ordinance allowing people to place themselves on a list to stop receiving yellow pages phone books, similar to the "no call" lists telemarketers must honor. The measure, sponsored by City Councilman Mike O'Brien, is designed to cut down on the amount of unused books circulating around Seattle. O'Brien says the unwanted publications are burdensome for the city to dispose of and not environmentally friendly.

O'Brien says it costs the city about $350,000 a year to dispose of unwanted books.

As of April 1, publishers of yellow pages would have to get an annual, $100 special license to do business in Seattle. The city's public utilities department would establish an "opt-out" directory for people and businesses who don't want to receive yellow pages phone books.

The registry would be available online. The registry would be paid for with a "recovery fee": Fourteen cents per yellow pages phone book to pay the costs of the Opt-Out Registry, $148 per ton of yellow pages phone books delivered in the city, wanted or unwanted, recycled immediately or recycled at the end of a year's rough use.

The vote was delayed a week because of concerns from the business community, including publishers of local business directories. The ordinance was amended to exclude people who produced small, local directories.

Neg Norton, president of the Yellow Pages Assocation, said the Seattle ordinance was redundant because the industry was already implementing opt out programs.

"We have no interest in delivering directories to those that don't want them," Norton told Councilmembers, adding phone books were a small part of the waste problem in the city and that the city was opening itself up to litigation.

The vote was eight to one, which Councilmember Jean Godden opposing the bill. Godden, a former newspaper columnist, said she voted "no" because of concerns that the measure requires a license for publishers, which she said could be a "slippery slope."