With the distribution of new phone books across the community this month, AT&T Real Yellow Pages and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful are urging residents to recycle the old books to make room for the new ones. 

Project ReDirectory kicked off on Monday with bins being placed at Reno, Sparks and Washoe County parks, area Scolari’s and Sak ‘N Save stores and Waste Management Recycle America and AT&T offices. 

Program director Maia Dickerson with Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful said the 2008 Project ReDirectory drive collected more than 100 tons of phone books to be recycled. 

“One ton of phone books is about 355 phone books,” Dickerson said. “It is completely recyclable. The phonebooks are shipped to a paper company and are made into new phonebooks. We are not utilizing any more paper then to make new phonebooks. 

“Phonebooks are made from scrap paper and recycled paper anyway,” Dickerson added. 

In 2005, Project ReDirectory added bins to park locations as part of a partnership between AT&T and the Arbor Day Foundation. Phone books dropped off at park locations result in tree donations. 

“For every ton of phonebooks recycled AT&T donated trees to parks,” Dickerson said. “One ton is about 17 saplings. It is kind of negotiated with the park and what they need.” 

Dickerson said more than 200 trees were planted on Oct. 24 as part of Make A Difference Day in Reno, Sparks and Washoe County as a result of more than 100 tons of books being recycled in 2008. 

Dickerson said Project ReDirectory collects between 100-150 tons of phone books every year. The program has been recycling phonebooks for about 20 years. 

“Our goal is always to get people to recycle their phonebooks,” Dickerson said. “It’s really hard to determine how many phonebooks are other there, and what people hold onto over the year.” 

If people choose to recycle their old phone books, Dickerson said it could make a large difference. 

“For every one ton of phonebooks, 6,953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil and enough landfill space to occupy a Volkswagen bug is saved,” Dickerson said. “It saves a lot of resources.” 

Dickerson said AT&T has similar recycling programs across the nation, but the company is happy with the way residents in northern Nevada recycle. 

“They have told us that they really like this recycling program and use it as an example,” Dickerson said. 

Even if it might be difficult for someone to make it to the nearest park or grocery store, Dickerson said phone books could also be recycled by placing them with other curbside recycling. 

“It’s a relatively easy way to recycle,” Dickerson said of Project ReDirectory. “We want people to just recycle their phone books. We don’t care where; if it is easier to put it in your trunk and drop it off the next time your at Scolari’s or bring it to Waste Management, just recycle.”

Drop-off locations in Sparks include: 

• Alf Sorenson Community Center - 1400 Baring Blvd. 

• Sparks City Hall - 431 Prater Way 

• Fire Station No. 5 - 6490 Vista Blvd. 

• Sparks Marina - 300 Howard Drive 

• Sparks Parks and Recreation - 98 Richards Way 

Drop-off locations in Reno include: 

• Fire Station No. 14 - 12300 Old Virginia Road 

• Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center - 1301 Valley Road 

• Neil Rd. Recreation Center - 3925 Neil Road 

• Northwest Pool - 2925 Apollo Way 

• Reno Tennis Center - 2601 Plumas St. 

Drop-off locations in Washoe County include: 

• Lazy 5 Regional Park - 7100 Pyramid Hwy. in Spanish Springs 

• Bartley Ranch Regional Park - 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno 

• North Valley’s Sports Complex - 8085 Silver Lake Road in Stead 

• Rancho San Rafael Regional Park - 1595 North Sierra St. in Reno 

• Sun Valley Community Park - 115 West 6th Ave. in Sun Valley 

• South Valley’s Library - 15650 Wedge Parkway in Reno 

For more information about recycling in northern Nevada, the new phone books contain a 30 page recycling guide. Dickerson also said residents who want to know when they will received a new phone book or who wish not to receive a phone book can contact the Yellow Pages Association at www.ypassociation.org and click on Consumer Choice. 

For more information about Project ReDirectory and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, visit www.kmtb.org.