In an effort involving schoolchildren and corporations, about 120,000 old telephone directories are being saved from Tulsa's trash-to-energy plant to be recycled into tissue and other paper products.
It's called Project ReDirectory, and it culminates Saturday with the Directory Games, a kind of novelty Olympics at LaFortune Stadium."I don't think anyone estimated the enthusiasm in this project," said Wayne Campbell, spokesman for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. and chairman of the effort. "This is raising everyone's consciousness of recycling. After this is over, it's still going to do something good for Tulsa."
Mayor Rodger Randle has endorsed the project and is having old telephone directories stored in the City Hall basement, where they will be available for schools or civic groups.
Dozens of Tulsa's major companies are gathering their phone books for the project, which coincides with distribution of the new directories.
Collection points have been set up in stores and all 31 fire stations in the city for the four-week effort, Campbell said.
Groups from at least a dozen schools also are collecting telephone books. The school that arrives at the games Saturday with the most books wins $300.
The games will feature book-stacking contests, book-balancing races, a book-throwing event and other contests involving directories. The entry fee is one used telephone book per person.
Cash prizes also are provided for civic groups and individuals who bring in the most books.