AD VENTURES PHONE BOOKS LOOK LIKE LITTER AND LANDFILL

Every time I drive down Makawao Avenue I see the same phone book lying beside the road.  These ubiquitous little books were part of a "creative" marketing blitz by Ad Ventures Publishing.  They were delivered to every door they could find in order to penetrate the market.

When people arrived at work or home to find their free phone book lying on or beside their mailbox, they had to decide what to do with it.  Some took them inside and found them useful.  Others threw them directly into their trash.  Many were outraged when they learned that there was no recycling plan by yet another phone book company trying to make a buck on Maui.

I think it is unfair to expect our community to pick up the tab for keeping these books off our roadsides and out of our landfill.  A book left lying outside is litter until someone takes responsibility for it.  That responsibility belongs to the manufacturer who produced it and distributed it.

Ad Ventures apparently won't come up with a successful recycle plan until the community takes some action and there are dire consequences for not recycling.  Make your voice heard by contacting Cindy Sorter at Ad Ventures Publishing, P O Box 270. Blaine, WA  98231, 1-877-561-7772.  We don't need any more unsolicited phone books or litter on the roadside.

Camille Armantrout

Makawao

May 28, 2004