BELL'S DIRECTORIES RECYCLING EFFORT IS CONSIDERED A `HIGH' SUCCESS

The Southwestern Bell directories recycled in Cape Girardeau stack up nearly as high as the St. Louis Arch plus the Statue of Liberty.

Cape Girardeau area individuals, schools and businesses recycled 21,300 directories during the first Project ReDirectory campaign.

Those 21,300 directories, stacked flat, would measure 887.5 feet. The arch is 630 feet high and the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet high.

A "victory celebration" was held Thursday marking the end the recycling campaign.

Craig Felzien, area community relations manager for Southwestern Bell, said the goal for the local project was to collect 10 tons of directories; 10.65 tons were collected.

The amount collected represents about 25 percent of the total number of directories distributed in the area last year, 95,520.

Felzien added that recycling 1 ton of directories would save 17 trees. The number of trees saved through the Cape Girardeau areas recycling efforts total 181. Also, 35.14 cubic yards of landfill space was saved by recycling the directories.

Tom Mulligan, ReDirectory coordinator for a five state area, said, "Cape Girardeau was by far the easiest, best-run campaign we did. The involvement of schools was critical."

In a promotion through Shop 'n Save, schools could turn in directories and receive credits through the Campbell's Soup label program.

"Nine thousand of the 21,000 directories came from one school in Jackson," Mulligan said, adding that perhaps the children and parents had collected more directories than are even distributed in that city.

In fact, 19,000 of the 21,300 books were turned in by area schools.

The Jackson kindergarten, with its 9,000 directories, received 5,000 credits from Campbell's Soup, explained Jim D'Amour with Shop 'n Save. Those credits can be redeemed for items to benefit the school.

"It was amazing," D'Amour said, "They started coming by the truckloads, especially from Jackson."

D'Amour said, in all, 33 schools participated.

Mulligan said, "The outdated directories are on their way to recycling concerns to be reprocessed into toilet paper, paper towels and roofing shingles."

State Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, served as chairman of the area's first ReDirectory effort.

"Again I can brag about something Cape Girardeau has done so well. Whenever a need goes out, the people of this community respond," Kasten said. "I issued a challenge to our people and they did not let me down. I knew we could pull together and do as good a job as other communities have done in Southwestern Bell's five-state region. Good work."

Felzien said planning is under way for next year's recycling campaign.