About YPA
Originally founded in 1975 as the National Yellow Pages Service Association (NYPSA), the Yellow Pages Association® (YPA®) is the largest trade organization of a print and digital media industry valued at more than $27 billion worldwide. Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, who produce products that account for over 95% of the Yellow Pages revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada. Members also include the industry’s international, national and local sales forces, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members, a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers. The Association has members in 29 countries.
For more than a decade, the Yellow Pages industry has taken proactive measures to decrease our carbon footprint. We’re constantly working to transform and innovate our business so that we can continue supporting local businesses and consumers in the most environmentally friendly way. Below you can read about some of the tough questions we’ve faced in this mission, and how we’ve worked to answer them.
Did You Know?
- Directory paper does not come from freshly cut trees.
In fact, the pulp that is used to make directory paper comes from recycled newspapers and residual chips, a byproduct of sawmills left after logs are converted to lumber. That is, the chips become paper pulp instead of going into landfills or being burned.
- A wide range of new products are made from outdated directories.
Partnerships between publishers and companies like [Green Fiber] have resulted in upcycling directories into products like coffee cup trays, egg cartons, cereal boxes and cellulose insulation. The production process is less energy intensive than using virgin fiber, and ultimately prevents the release of carbon dioxide that may otherwise occur in landfills.
- The demand for directory paper has declined 29% since 2006.
As a result of programs to reduce the size of directories, use more efficient pagination systems, and to expand digital and mobile search products, publishers have reduced the size of directories 29% since 2006. Additionally, publishers have switched to a lighter-weight paper to reduce overall weight and conserve resources throughout the product life cycle.
- Directories are made with nontoxic inks, dyes and adhesives.
Vegetable-based inks and eco-friendly adhesives that pose little threat to soil or groundwater supplies have replaced petroleum-based products.
- Directories make up the smallest portion of the waste stream when compared to other non-durable products.
According to the EPA, compared with newspapers (3.5%), disposable diapers (1.5%) and tissue paper and paper towels (1.4%), telephone directories represent the lowest percentage of the municipal waste stream at 0.3%.