Belgium scraps ‘phonebook for all’ approach in waste crackdown

Belgium has announced plans to stop delivering phonebooks to every home, instead just supplying copies to those who specifically ask for them.

From next year, the country’s white pages phone directory will be delivered on an opt-in basis rather than the usual opt-out.

The country is acknowledging that, particularly in the digital age, these phone books often go unused and contribute to waste going to landfill.

Belgium could reduce paper waste by up to 3,000 tonnes per year with the move.

The UK could save more than ten times that amount and over 30,000 tonnes of carbon emissions were it to follow suit.

Sam Bond