We´ve generally gotten smarter in recent years about waste generation. But there are many areas where we are still pretty stupid. I put phone books in that latter category.

First off, when people compose lists of products likely to soon pass into history, phone books usually are there near the top. Like many of us who lived prior to the Internet, I used to consider the phone book a valuable resource. But now, I can´t remember the last time I´ve used one. When I need a phone number or a contractor, I´m going to websites or other sources.

But for some reason, I´m getting a lot more phone books, not less. We count at least five that have arrived at our house this year. That seems at least four too many. My wife went down to our village recycling drop-off center last week and sent me a picture of the roll-off container where people take their paper. It was a sea of phone books in their original orange bag packaging.

Now, it´s good that people are recycling those bulky paper products and not pitching them in the garbage. But the volume of books going straight to recycling certainly speaks volumes about how much consumers value the products.

Yes, I know we have more phone companies than we used to, and as businesses their main concern is offering products that will make consumers choose their company. They´re not worried about the collective overkill, and they´re not going to be the ones to cut out a product if they think that will put them at a competitive disadvantage.

But maybe with some marketing savvy a phone company can turn that into a competitive advantage. They can say: "We´re concerned about the environment, so we´re making our phone book electronic only unless people request a hard copy." I think consumers are tired enough of the unnecessary clutter that such a pitch would persuade them to go with that company.

Companies are increasingly seeing the financial benefits for waste reduction and reuse internally. And the smart ones are finding ways to make it a marketing advantage as well, when it carries a lot more substance than the generic "look at how green we are" pitches.