Executive Summary

[Company]' s quarterly newsletter, Phone Book Roundup, was created in 1997 to fill an information void. In the big recycling picture, phone books take a back seat to other scrap materials, so there are virtually no sources of useful information about recycling them. Since old telephone directories (OTD) are also a material that presents unique processing and manufacturing challenges, recyclers need information on how to handle them.

Several audiences are targeted by Phone Book Roundup:

City and county government partners throughout the southeast share information about what strategies have worked for their communities. While each is different, they all face similar questions: how best to collect old phone books from homes and businesses, and how to educate the public on the "hows" and "whys" of recycling them. Examining how others have handled these issues allows them to explore new approaches they may not otherwise have considered.

Waste haulers and processors who handle phone books compete for contracts with cities and counties. Knowing that support of a community's phone book recycling campaign will get them good visibility in a publication that is read by hundreds of their potential customers gives them a "return" on their involvement. Reading about how other companies have been involved also encourages their participation in future programs.

End users who purchase OTD for their mills need to know about the availability of material on the market. Since new phone books are being delivered somewhere in the southeast at any time during the year, and since these communities vary widely in size, the flow of material is not steady. A schedule of upcoming [Company] deliveries for the next quarter allows mills to plan their purchases of OTD based on the expected tonnage to be collected in those communities. They also receive publicity in the newsletter to help promote the sale of their products, thus supporting their future availability as an end market.

Recycling industry analysts and consultants now have a source of information about phone books where none existed before. Steel, aluminum, glass, plastics and other paper grades are commodities with a wealth of information available in industry periodicals. OTD receives virtually no coverage in these publications. Information about the economy, transportation, mills, and other issues affecting phone book recycling is also now gathered in one place for these interested parties.

Key [Company] employees receive a greater awareness of the company's involvement in community phone book recycling programs. This enables them to confidently and correctly answer questions from customers and others in the community about the programs. They also receive a greater understanding of the crucial aspects of these programs --and how they as consumers can support them by buying some of the products made from OTD.

Reaction to Phone Book Roundup has been overwhelmingly positive. Communities are now more interested and involved in recycling phone books, and end markets that make the programs possible are growing. In communities where campaigns are completed for 1998, results have increased 25% over 1997, and two new communities have added programs.