PROJECT REDIRECTORY UNDER WAY

Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. have kicked off the 1997 Project ReDirectory program.

The annual drive to collect old directories allows area residents to contribute to a better environment, said Donna Burk, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company area manager.

Outdated directories can be recycled into such products as paper napkins, paper towels, roofing shingles, shoe boxes and other items, she said.

Distribution of 1997 directories started in Cape Girardeau last week. More than 67,000 directories will be distributed to residential, business and government customers.

The new directory maintains its new size format, introduced last year, featuring a three-column format on 10 3/4 x 7-inch pages.

The cover of this year's directory features a color photograph of the Katy Trail, a biking and hiking trail that runs almost parallel to the Missouri River.

In addition to residential numbers and yellow pages, the new directories include "fingertip facts," a calendar of events, area maps, Southeast Missouri State University sports schedules and a seating diagram for the university's Show Me Center.

Drop-off bins for old directories have been placed in a number of Cape Girardeau County areas and will remain in place through Nov. 14.

In Cape Girardeau, bins have been placed at all NationsBank sites; Schnucks Market at 19 S. Kingshighway; Student Recreation Center at Southeast Missouri State University, 750 New Madrid; the Cape Girardeau Recycling Center, 120 N. Broadview; and Southwestern Bell Telephone.

Jackson drop-off sites are NationsBank sites; the City of Jackson vehicle maintenance facility at 416 Florence; and Schaper's IGA Foodliner, 528 W. Main.

During the ReDirectory campaign, Cape Girardeau customers also may have their outdated directories picked up curbside along with other recyclables in the city's trash collection program.

Large quantities of directories may be taken directly to the Cape Girardeau Recycling Center.

Although a goal has not been established, a 50 percent collection rate of directories is expected in the Cape Girardeau area.

Since its local inception in 1992, more than 45 tons of outdated directories have been recycled, saving 765 mature trees and 138 cubic yards of landfill space.

Project ReDirectory is conducted in 40 cities throughout Southwestern Bell's five-state region.