Phone Books Recycle Curbside Remove Magnets Before Recycling Phone books often come with magnets, which are not recyclable. Make sure to remove these magnets before placing a phone book in paper recycling. Dispose of Plastic Bags Separately Many phone books are delivered in plastic bags to protect them from rain damage. Make sure to dispose of the bag with other plastic bags. Ways to Reduce Opt Out of Yellow Pages If your phone book sees little use, consider opting out of receiving one altogether. Do so by visiting the National Yellow Pages opt-out site. Ways to Reuse Create a Phone Book Safe Hide money and other small valuables in a phone book. To create a phone book safe, take a box cutter and cut out a rectangle from the middle. Did You Know? The Environmental Impact of Phone Books It takes 7.2 million barrels of oil to produce a year’s worth of phone books in the United States — equivalent to half the oil used by the state of Vermont each year.