So, you've contacted the Yellow Pages to cancel the directory and you got a copy of the book again? You're not alone; I found yet another Yellow Pages stuck in my letterbox only last week.

The reason for Yell's failure to respect people's wishes is quite simple. They're too busy indoctrinating school children that the Yellow Pages is good for the environment (so much paper for the kids to recycle!). Yell simply doesn't make any attempt to make its opt-out scheme work. The company doesn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge opt-out requests, let alone that they'll ask you to contact them if your opt-out is ignored.

This will change. As the demand for paper directories continues to plummet more and more people will question why companies like Yell and Thomson Local are still distributing tens of millions of unsolicited paper directories every year. Once the item is on the political agenda Yell will introduce a proper opt-out system in no time. It has already happened in the States, Belgium, and the Netherlands; and it will happen in the UK.

In fact, I can report some some progress. Yell has started mentioning its opt-out service in the Yellow Pages. You find the information in the 'Yell information' section. The text reads:

Moving home or office? Call us now to order your new Yellow Pages directory. Or, if you no longer want to receive a Yellow Pages, call us free on: 0800 671 444.

Okay, they don't exactly shout it from the rooftops. Still, it's progress, if only because it shows that Yell is sensitive to consumer pressure. They'll keep quiet about opting out for as long as possible. They'll keep banging on about how 'green' the directory is, and for as long as they can they'll go round schools to teach our children that producing tens of millions of unsolicited books is fine because it's so much fun to recycle. When this sort of corporate greenwash becomes unsellable they'll start making an effort to set up a real opt-out scheme. What's needed, then, is to keep up the pressure. Opt-out, tell other people that they don't have to put up with unwanted directories, and contact Yell if they ignore your request. They will give in, I promise…