For Immediate Release:
 October 13, 2009

Media Contact:
Frank Calderón
fcald@miamidade.gov
 305-514-6751



Don’t Trash That Old Phone Book—Recycle It!


(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- The fall season brings with it a new set of telephone books to most Miami-Dade residents.  That means most Miami-Dade residents will throw out their old phone books.  But the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management (DSWM) reminds residents they can recycle their old phone books, rather than just throw them away. 

"Each ton of phone books we recycle can save 17 trees," said Solid Waste Director Kathleen Woods-Richardson.  "If a phone book weighs three pounds, and each of our 340,000 customers recycled just one phone book each, that would come to 510 tons of paper recycled and about 8,670 trees saved!" 

Recycling phone books saves more than just trees.  According to the U.S. EPA's website (http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/paper/basics/index.htm), each ton of recycled phone books can:

- Save enough energy to power the average American home for half a year
- Save 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space
- Save 7,000 gallons of water
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one metric ton of carbon equivalent 

"It doesn't take much to recycle your old phone book," Mrs. Woods-Richardson said.  "Just toss it into your blue recycling cart, along with the rest of your recyclables, and you're all set." 

Miami-Dade's single-stream recycling program, started in June 2008, simplifies recycling by allowing residents to place all their recyclables into one wheeled cart.  For more information about Miami-Dade's recycling program call 3-1-1 or visit http://www.miamidade.gov/dswm/. 
 

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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT