Keep hold of your old yellow pages!

Photo of the Yellow Pages

School children across Rochdale borough are collecting old Yellow Pages directories and taking them to school for recycling this month, as the new 2004/05 directory is delivered across the area throughout October.

The initiative is part of a new schools competition that aims to recycle tonnes of old directories in return for cash prizes. It is a new venture launched jointly by Rochdale Council and the Yellow Pages Directory. Recycling Scheme.

Eighteen schools are taking part in the competition, which runs for 3 weeks. The school collecting the most directories per pupil will win £300 from Yellow Pages, with runners-up receiving £200 and £100.

The Council won funding from Yellow Pages to cover the running costs of the competition. All directories collected will be taken to SB Recycling in Bury where they will be mixed with other waste paper and baled before being sent to a number of North West firms for recycling into packaging materials.

Tara Dumas, Waste Minimisation Manager with Rochdale Council, said, "Recycling old Yellow Pages directories in this way has a double purpose, It benefits local schools and also the local environment, by reducing landfill. I'm sure schools will have great fun competing against each other."

Richard Duggleby, Head of External Relations at Yell, who publish Yellow Pages directories, said: "We wish all the schools taking part the very best of luck as they compete for the cash prizes. We would encourage local people to support their schools by giving them their old Yellow Pages directories for recycling. This is a fun exercise but with the serious purpose behind it of encouraging everyone to think about the environment."

Residents can also recycle old Yellow Pages at the reception of the Council's Environmental Management headquarters on Green Lane, Heywood, between now and Friday 12 November.

Keen gardeners can also compost their yellow pages. Gently screw the pages into a ball and add a few pages at a time to your compost heap. The paper adds carbon, helps to dry out the heap and creates air pockets to help the compost process.

For more information about the schools' competition, please contact Tara Dumas on 0845 226 1800, or call the Directory Recycling Helpline on 0800 671 444 (lines open 8:30-5:30 Mon - Fri)