Combined phone book ready to lug to recycling
No more monster-size telephone directories.
Hawaiian Telcom started distributing separate white and yellow pages for Oahu yesterday. And it will even accept the nearly seven-pound combined directory of predecessor Verizon Hawaii off your hands.
"It was just way too big," said Ron Montgomery, Hawaiian Telecom vice president and general manager of directories.
He said the decision to go back to separate books was based on market research from earlier this year.
"People asked if we would go back to a split book," he said.
Paradise Pages also went to separate volumes for white and yellow pages this year, and started distributing them this summer.
To collect the old Verizon directories, Hawaiian Telcom is conducting a recycling contest open to all public and private schools on Oahu.
The company will award cash prizes to the six schools that collect the most telephone books, from $250 for sixth place to $2,000 for first. In addition, schools that collect at least 2,500 pounds will get $100.
The books will be turned over to Island Recycling, said Ken Hiraki, Hawaiian Telcom government affairs director.
The contest runs form Oct. 10 to Nov. 18. People can drop off the books at any participating school, listed at 546-7335 and online at www.HTYellowPages.com.
Verizon collected 499,000 volumes last year, weighing 249 tons, Hiraki said. Hawaiian Telcom hopes to top that this year, he said.
And it will accept the directories of competitors.
Paradise Pages is working on its own recycling program. Ad-Ventures just started distributing Oahu directories last December.
People who are not able to submit their old directories for Hawaiian Telcom's recycling drive can place them in city community recycling bins, said Suzanne Jones, city recycling coordinator.