Recycling old phone books is a way for members of the Iowa State community to be kind to the environment.

They can take advantage of the opportunity Iowa State’s Recycling Committee is offering to recycle old phone books.

This year’s phone book recycling date has been set for Saturday, Nov. 23. This means that Friday is the deadline for people to place their old listings in the appropriate boxes located in many buildings around campus.

Gloria Erickson, ISU program assistant and Recycling Committee member, said this is the fifth year the committee has offered the service and participation has been growing each year.

“Last year we recycled over six tons. This year, we hope to do even more,” Erickson said.

The Recycling Committee asks that college departments find boxes to use for the project. She said they ask each department telephone coordinator to help.

Erickson said most buildings have a recycling volunteer, and the university custodians help take the boxes out to the docks.

John Kingland, director of telecommunications, said he thinks it is good there is an organized volunteer group that does the phone book recycling.

The Ames Area Recycling Center provides the committee with a container on campus for the collections. Erickson said they pick the container up and take it to Weyerhaeuser, a resource recovery plant in Des Moines. The books are then recycled there.

Kingland said the university produces 18,000 copies of the ISU directory each year.

Erickson said any phone book can be recycled including the ISU Directory as well as the U.S. West phone book.

Erickson said usually 15 people, both students and staff, work on this project. They are still looking for volunteers.

Anyone interested in helping with the project is encouraged to contact Gloria Erickson, ISU Recycling Committee, 294-7977.