White Pages circulation dries up once users get choice not to receive it

The White Pages in Auckland now has less than five percent of the circulation it had a year ago, thanks to the introduction of a trial opt in system in March. This year instead of sending every Auckland household a copy of the giant white tome by default, the public had to specifically request a copy.

There were 494,000 copies of the White Pages delivered last year. Fewer than 21,000 copies will be delivered to Auckland homes later this month. The real shocker is that there are still 21,000 people who want what many use as door stops and dust collectors.

With 473,000 fewer books needed comes the saving of 300 tonnes of paper, according to ICT Minister Amy Adams.

“Given a choice, the vast majority of Aucklanders appear comfortable with finding the information they need electronically, and do not require a printed directory,” she says.

The trial system follows a survey by Yellow, which compiles the White Pages, where 75 percent of respondents said it should be up to the household to decide whether to receive a copy or not.

The alternative now is a free people search service on the White Pages website.