Yellow Pages Sustainability and Consumer Choice Initiatives to be Featured at California Resource Recovery Association Conference

SAN DIEGO, July 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Local Search Association and Yellowbook announced today a joint Platinum level sponsorship of the California Resource Recovery Association's (CRRA) 35th Annual Conference, "Zero Waste: Ride the Wave to Sustainability." The conference, which begins next week, will include a dedicated booth for Local Search Association and Yellowbook representatives to discuss the Yellow Pages industry's sustainability and consumer choice initiatives. Association members AT&T and Nippon Paper will also be in attendance.

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"Over the past year, the Yellow Pages industry has proactively reduced the amount of paper in our directories, raised directory recovery rates, and upgraded our nationwide consumer choice and opt-out site, www.yellowpagesoptout.com," said Neg Norton, president of the Local Search Association. "The CRRA conference is an important venue to demonstrate our industry's collective progress in reducing our environmental footprint, increasing recovery efforts, and making it easier for consumers to control delivery of directories to their homes."

Matt Krug, Associate Manager of Distribution Recycling and Logistics at Yellowbook, will participate in the conference panel, "Taking the Lead – Businesses Show Their Stuff!" scheduled for August 2 from 2:45-4:15pm.  Krug will discuss Yellowbook's Zero Waste initiative and programs designed to improve economic and environmental performance. Krug will also present on the ways Yellowbook and its peers are contributing to and benefiting from joint industry initiatives such as www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

"Communicating a clear and consistent set of values as an industry is the best approach to educating the public about our positive impacts on the communities we serve," said Krug.

Earlier this year, the Local Search Association released its second annual sustainability report, which looks at the progress directory publishers have made over the past year in regards to environmental, economic and social performance.

Key industry highlights include:

• An upgraded consumer website (www.yellowpagesoptout.com) that makes it even easier for consumers to choose to reduce or stop directory delivery.
• Directory paper demand decreased an additional 8.1 percent in 2010, totaling nearly 35 percent in paper reduction since 2007.
• Directory recovery rate increased to 36.9 percent (up from 21.4 percent the previous year), according to the latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data.
• Telephone directories continue to only represent 0.3 percent of the solid waste stream, significantly less than newspapers (3.2 percent) and office paper (2.2 percent).
• An array of strategic partnerships focused on environmental, economic and social performance.

To learn more and to read the full report, visit the Local Search Association website at www.localsearchassociation.org.

The CRRA conference runs from Sunday, July 31 – Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.  More information is available at www.crra.com.

About the Local Search Association

Formerly the Yellow Pages Association, the Local Search Association (www.localsearchassociation.org) is the largest trade organization of print, digital, mobile and social media that help local businesses get found and selected by ready-to-buy consumers.  Association members include U.S. and international Yellow Pages companies, search engine marketers, online listings and review sites, digital advertising agencies and mobile search providers. The Association has members in 29 countries.

Read the Local Search Association blog at www.localsearchinsider.com and follow @LocalSearchAssn on Twitter. To learn more about Yellow Pages advertising, visit www.buyyellow.com. To choose which phone books you receive, or stop delivery of all directories, visit www.yellowpagesoptout.com.

About Yellowbook

Since 1930, Yellowbook has focused on connecting consumers with local business clients to fuel small business growth and success. Today, as a national leader of customized small business marketing solutions, Yellowbook manages an expansive portfolio of digital, mobile and print tools to help its clients efficiently and effectively market their businesses.

Yellowbook's marketing portfolio includes: Website design, hosting and optimization; scalable, customizable SEM and SEO programs; online advertising and video on one of the top 50 websites in the United States, yellowbook.com network; yellow pages print advertising in approximately 1,000 directories in 48 states plus the District of Columbia; Yellowbook Direct Marketing services, and more. For more information, visit http://corporate.yellowbook.com.

CONTACT:
Doug McGraw
Fleishman-Hillard
[email protected]  
212-453-2202

SOURCE Local Search Association