Last chance to opt out of receiving Yellow Pages book for Rotorua

Rotorua residents have until Tuesday to opt out of receiving the 2018 Yellow Pages book, but so far, less than one per cent have chosen to do so.

New Zealanders have been able to opt out of receiving the book since 2014, but according to the latest figures from Yellow, only 0.03 per cent of the Rotorua distribution list has opted out of receiving it.

In a statement a spokeswoman for Yellow said the book was distributed to 36,200 households and businesses across Rotorua each year.

She said in Yellow's latest survey, Rotorua's Yellow book was used to look up information 14,222 times.

"In the last month, 5588 people used the Rotorua Yellow book, and 56.2 per cent of these people phoned a local business as a result," the spokeswoman said.

She said 35 per cent of the Rotorua Yellow books users were active purchasers, up seven per cent on this time last year.

Rotorua councillor and sustainability porfolio lead for the Rotorua Lakes Council Tania Tapsell will be opting out of the Yellow Pages this year. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua councillor and sustainability porfolio lead for the Rotorua Lakes Council Tania Tapsell said that was 36,200 books that ended up being thrown away.

"If people don't use it then they should definitely opt out," Tapsell said.

"Anything that's good for the environment is good for us."

Tapsell said she did use the phone book occasionally, mostly to "look up a plumber", but this year she would opt out.

"Half of Rotorua's household rubbish is actually recyclable, so it's just another way that households can reduce their waste."

Grey Power Rotorua president Russell Hallam said the elderly would probably make up a large portion of Yellow Pages users.

"In our membership probably only a third would have access to the online site, so the book is probably more important to them," Hallam said.

Although he could see the benefits of people opting out he would not support a change to an opt-in system.

Yellow Advert - Spot The Dog - 1994

After a hefty spring clean, we've blown the dust off some classic Yellow ads we thought you might enjoy. Kicking off a wee #ThrowbackThursday series, here's some 1994 nostalgia to round off your week. (Great cameo from our old mate, Spot The Dog too!)

Posted by Yellow on Wednesday, 22 November 2017

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A Rotorua woman, who chose not to be named, said she still got the Yellow Pages and enjoyed using the book.

"There's something almost nostalgic about it; I just like being able to physically look through the pages.

"It will end up being recycled anyway and if people really don't like it maybe they could use it to help start their fire."

• To opt out of receiving the 2018 Yellow Pages book visit ypgbooks.co.nz/opt-out/