BT has told householders who cancelled the delivery of the unsolicited phone directory via Junk Buster that their request has not be actioned. The company says people who want to opt out need to give BT their phone number.

Phone books will no longer be delivered door-to-door in Belgium. It is the first European country to introduce an opt-in system for paper directories.

A campaign for a central opt-out scheme for paper directories has reached it goal after a consumer watchdog programme highlighted the issue.

A petition for an opt-in system for paper directories organised by online directory 192.com has attracted 12,129 signatures. At the same time a similar campaign in Holland is gaining momentum.

Yell has announced it will reduce the size of the Yellow Pages by a quarter. The company says the change will maintain its 'widely acknowledged track record with regard to the environment', but its online competitors remain unconvinced.

Local councils have started a "war on pointless phone directories" in an effort to reduce waste and save money. "Taxpayers' money could be spent on better things than picking up phone directories", according to the Local Government Association.

Thomson Local has produced a 'No Thomson Local' sticker for householders wanting to cancel the directory. It is unclear if people who have asked Thomson Local to be opted out need to display the sticker on their door.

Online directory 192.com has today relaunched its 'Say no to Phone books' campaign. The company is now calling for a central opt-in scheme for 'weightiest junk mail of all'.

Online directory 192.com has launched a campaign for a central opt-out scheme for paper directories. Such a scheme should be based on the Mailing Preference Service.

A poll by welovelocal.com suggests 35% of Brits would prefer not to receive printed business directories at home – preferring instead to look up information on the internet or to go by recommendations from friends.