Aren't Telephone Books Obsolete Yet?

We received a fresh batch of Yellow Pages at this morning. They come two to a bag, and both are exactly the same.  

Do they print so many that we all get two each? I walked over to neighboring business and it was the same deal ... two books, both the same.

When was the last time any of us actually opened up a telephone book? As far back as I can remember, phonebooks have been little more than a temporary doorstop, or the occasional booster chair.

Yeah, they were good for the late night plumber, pizza delivery, or cab, but 3-4 inches of newsprint at four to six times a year is just immorally wasteful.

According to the American Forest and Paper Association and Earth 911, recycling 500 books a day would save between 17 and 31 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 463 gallons of oil.  

What's worse is the burden of trying to determine how to best recycle all of the telephone books that we receive each year ... it's 'outta hand!

If you live in a condominium or apartment building, it's likely that the book companies dumped a huge pile of useless paper and plastic bags in your lobby recently, too. If you've ever lived in a condo or apartment, two or three of these telephone books will be taken upstairs by some of the more elderly residents, and the rest will sit there for weeks until someone has the gumption to toss them.  

Oh, and we live by the sea: How many of the plastic bags that the telephone books come wrapped in will end up choking a fish or dolphin?

True the telephone book business remains a largely profitable and growing one. However, my prognosis, is that we won't get rid of them any time soon -- unfortunately.