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Best Green Public Sector Campaign Award

Sponsored by Yell


 

About Yell

Yell is a leading international directories business and amongst the most sustainable companies in the world.  We are included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Index. In the UK, we have the distinction of winning two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for our approach to sustainable development, in 2002 and 2007.


Yellow Pages production and recycling

We work closely with our supply chain in the production of our print directories to strike a balance between our environmental impact and ensuring the Yellow Pages directory remains a robust, high quality product.

Printed directories are a very significant source of sales leads for many small businesses and an important way for them to promote themselves.  In the UK, an advert in the Yellow Pages directory generates on average more than 100 new business leads per year*. We are proud of the contribution our directories make to local economies.

In the UK last year, the Yellow Pages directory generated more than half a billion leads for businesses appearing in it – on average 18 leads a second,** demonstrating the continuing strong demand for a printed classified directory.

Yellow Pages directories contain an average 54% recycled fibre content and are 100% recyclable.  The remaining 46% virgin fibre content is from legal and sustainably managed sources and uses forest industry waste materials such as sawmill dust and off cuts.

The directories are made with low weight paper (34 gsm) to minimise the amount of paper used and old directories can be easily recycled.  It is a myth that they are dyed yellow and that this prevents recycling.  The base white paper and colour surface ink wash has enabled the directories to be recycled into products such as newsprint, cardboard, packaging, egg boxes, insulation and animal bedding for many years.

Almost all – 99% - of UK local authorities offer opportunities for recycling of old Yellow Pages directories.  The easiest option is via kerbside collection and currently 98% of local authorities accept the old directories in their kerbside schemes.

We operate the Yellow Pages Directory Recycling Scheme, through which we continue to offer local grants and promotional support, to improve local authorities' directory recycling capability.  The scheme is fully funded by Yell and works with consumers, local authorities, recycling organisations, schools and the end-users of recycled products, offering advice and support to help set up and promote recycling facilities for old directories.

In the UK, we operate the Yellow Woods Challenge, an environmental campaign for schools, working in partnership with UK local authorities and the Woodland Trust.

See: www.yellgroup.com/environment


* Saville Rossiter-Base 2006/07    ** Saville Rossiter-Base 2007/08

Results based on past research - no guarantee of future behaviour

“Public service awareness campaigns are a very important way in which to promote a more sustainable way of living such as recycling, reducing waste and becoming more energy efficient.  Householders and businesses are becoming more aware of how all of our actions can help make a difference to the environment in our local communities and the wider planet.  Communications campaigns need to be engaging and innovative and encourage real behavioural change.”
Adam Billiald, Environment Manager, Yell