BELL TELEPHONE INTITIATES RECYCLING PROJECT

Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages has recycled more than 3 million old telephone directories since late 1989, when Project ReDirectory was established in the Tulsa, Okla., area.

"Our approach on Project ReDirectory is twofold to save thousands of trees annually and to alleviate the overuse of our nation's landfills," said Gary Bradford, coordinator of the project.

The recycling of 3 million directories equates to more than 5,500 tons of paper collected, saving over 94,000 trees and more than 18,000 cubic yards of landfill space, said Bradford.

Cape Girardeau County residents can share in the program this year.

"This is the first year for the project in the Cape Girardeau area," said Bill Townsend of Southwestern Bell in St. Louis. "We will eventually conduct Project ReDirectory collection drives for each of our largest 26 directories in the five-state region. This year's project will be carried out in 16 cities."

The region includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.

"The new Southwestern Bell telephone books will be delivered this month," said Bradford. "Instead of discarding the old directories, they can be returned for recycling.

"We're encouraging everyone to participate in this important project," said Bradford. "We will continue to search for more ways to make our directories more recyclable."

Several locations have been designated as collection sites for the old directories in Cape County. They include:

Schnucks, 19 S. Kingshighway; Shop 'N Save, 254 Silver Springs Road; JCPenney, West Park Mall; The Mail Box, 1005 N. Kingshighway; all Boatmen's Banks; the Student Recreation Center at Southeast Missouri State University; and the city of Cape Girardeau Recycling Center, 120 N. Broadview; Schapers IGA Foodliner, 528 W. Main in Jackson, and the city of Jackson's Recycling Center, 416 Florence.

Only Southwestern Bell directories will be accepted.

"This is a community effort," said Townsend. "Our steering committee is composed of representatives of a number of area businesses, including both hospitals Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center Domino's Pizza, Procter and Gamble, Spartech-Resin Exchange, Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages, and each of the businesses listed as collection points."

In 1991 Southwestern Bell Yellow pages published more than 40 million directory copies using about 80,000 tons of paper for distribution throughout the five-state region.

Since June 1991, the firm has been using 10 percent recycled content in approximately 90 percent of its white pages.

"Our goals are to incorporate 10 percent post-consumer, recycled content into all of our books by 1993," said Bradford. "By 1995 we want to increase that recycled content to 30 percent.

Several of the old directories collected in Cape County will be used to make paper towels and tissue products, said Bradford.

Anyone presenting a Southwestern Bell directory at any of the collection points will receive a $1-off coupon good at Domino's Pizza.