Goodbye phone books: Verizon sheds printed business directories

Crain's New York reports:

In New York state, Verizon can finally stop printing phone books.

Verizon is finally taking its printed phone books to the shredder.

The New York State Public Service Commission Thursday granted Verizon and its directory publisher Dex Media permission to stop printing and delivering business telephone books.

"Aside from not harming consumers' ability to receive directory information, we now can avoid the unnecessary printing of paper directories," said commission Chair Audrey Zibelman in a statement, adding that it's an environment-friendly decision.

In 2010, New York allowed Verizon to halt the printing of phone books containing residential listings. The decision removed about 13,600 tons of paper per year from the waste stream.

Is the New York Times next?