Deadline to Stop Autumn Phone Book Deliveries is Sept. 23

SEATTLE — The next opt-out deadline for Seattle residents who want to stop getting some or all yellow pages phone books is September 23 – 30 days before “Yellowbook” starts deliveries.

“Yellowbook” and “SuperPages” deliveries are scheduled from late-October through the end of the year.

 Residents and businesses who want to stop these or other yellow pages deliveries can use the City of Seattle’s Opt-Out Registry to notify the publishers which phone books they want and which they don’t. Any new opt-outs now can also stop yellow pages deliveries all next year.

Most Seattle residents receive six phone books totaling more than 11 pounds of paper, every year. Many of those books are unwanted and go directly in recycling, never used. 

Seattle businesses and residents have three ways to opt-out of receiving phone books. The www.seattle.gov/stopphonebooks web site allows users to choose the phone directories they still want and to stop unwanted books..  It’s also possible to make phone book choices by calling the phone book opt-out automated phone line at (206) 504-3066. Mail-in postcards are also available at the city’s Neighborhood Service Centers in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Somali, Korean and Tagalog.  

More than 55,000 Seattle residents and businesses have already used this free service, resulting in the elimination of more than 300,000 phone books a year, equaling nearly 300 tons of paper.   

Residents and businesses who got yellow pages directories in June or July after opting out can log into their Catalog Choice accounts to file a complaints. The City of Seattle tracks complaints and will hold yellow pages publishers accountable if they fail to honor opt-out requests from Seattle residents and businesses.

As a result of the ordinance, the Phone Books Opt-Out Registry is funded by a fee charged to yellow pages publishers and is provided at no charge to users.

Catalog Choice is a non-profit organization that operates the Phone Books Opt-Out Registry and provides some stop junk mail services for the City of Seattle under contract.

In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the City’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region’s environmental resources.