UN-RECYCLED PHONE BOOKS ADD UNWANTED TONNAGE TO OUR LANDFILLS

Once again, there was no recycling plan for two of last year’s phone books; The Maui Big Book and Ad Ventures.  This inaction added approximately 160 tons of garbage to Maui's already over-burdened landfill.  Verizon did marginally better with a poorly advertised plan that was over by the time most people found out about it.

All three companies are aware that their phone books do not recycle on Maui.  All three were asked to figure out how to keep their product out of our landfill.  Only Verizon responded with any kind of plan.

Sadly, the bottom line is profit and shipping non-recyclable items off the islands costs money.  If there were a mandate for recycling all phone books on the islands, all three companies would be on the same footing.  The extra cost of recycling would be viewed as a necessary part of doing business rather than as a direct hit to the bottom line.

Most of us are appalled when we learn that there is no way to recycle all of our old phone books.  We wonder what it will take for the manufacturers and their advertisers to take responsibility for their product.

As residents who have to live with (and pay for) the extra tonnage in our landfills, we can and should make our voices heard.  Contact Cindy Sorter at Ad Ventures Publishing, P O Box 270. Blaine, WA  98231, 1-877-561-7772 regarding their book and The Maui Big Book; and Verizon Hawaii, Customer Relations, PO Box 2200, Honolulu, HI  96841, (800) 483-7988.

Camille Armantrout