Yellow Pages called 'blatant paper-waste' as users urged to opt out with deadline looming

There are calls for households to "opt out" of receiving their Yellow Pages book this year, amidst concerns the telephone directory is old fashioned.

Hundreds have taken to Facebook arguing the directory isn't environmentally friendly and people can easily look up numbers and addresses online.

The deadline for Aucklanders to opt out of the Yellow Book is tomorrow, with delivery of this year's edition set to start in Auckland on March 16.

So far more than 14,000 Auckland households have decided not to receive the Yellow Book. 

Among those who've encouraged the idea of opting out of the book is Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick.

"Internet savvy Facebook folks - if you end up recycling your Yellow Pages each year because you know your way around the WWW, why not opt out of wasting the paper in the first place? It takes two seconds, but get onto it asap," she posted.

Businesses have also joined the calls, including Nature Body which wrote: "We are all about to get our annual pile of unwanted, antiquated, blatant paper-waste (the yellow pages). Before you throw it straight in the recycling bin... why not permanently opt out from getting one delivered in the first place!"

Households have had the option to opt out of receiving the Yellow pages since 2015.