Question: What's the best way to deal with old phone directories this year: (a) in the trash to go to HPOWER, (b) to some recycling location, or (c) something else?

Answer: You have a choice this year.

The city maintains that throwing the books into the trash to be burned at HPOWER to produce energy is more beneficial than having them recycled into new paper products.

However, recycling the old directories is again an option this year.

This time, the option involves a local recycler producing “;green,”; nonpaper products for use locally.

Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages announced yesterday that it is partnering with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to take back outdated phone directories for five weekends, beginning tomorrow through Feb. 8.

Hawaiian Tel is partnering with recycler Island Shell LLC to convert the directories - into oil-absorbent materials, Green Lava Hydro-Mulch or InCide Pest Control Cellulose Insulation - for use locally.

Old directories can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Ward Warehouse, adjacent to the tented trolley stop on Auahi Street; Kahala Mall, in the parking lot near Macy's Men's Store; Windward Mall, in the Macy's parking lot at the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haiku Road; and Waikele Premium Outlets, in the center courtyard area.

The locations will be staffed with volunteers from the Lokahi Giving Project, as well as workers from All Rolloff Services.

“;Recycling is important to us, and we wanted to create a unique program with convenient locations across Oahu,”; Nelia Visitacion, field marketing manager for Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages, said in a press release. “;We are so pleased to work with all of our local partners to reduce solid waste on Oahu, recycle the directories into innovative local products that support sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint.”;

More information on the recycling program can be found at http://www.HTYellowPages.com.

For its part, the city's position remains “;that the low-grade, low-value papers, which include old phone books, provide greater benefit to Oahu in local energy production than in shipping to distant markets to be made into new paper products,”; said Suzanne Jones, the city's recycling coordinator.

In the past, Jones has described the HPOWER waste-to-energy process as “;energy recycling.”;

HPOWER continues to generate 7 percent of Oahu's electricity while reducing the volume of waste by 90 percent through incineration, she said.

“;Both material recycling and energy recycling benefit the island,”; Jones said.

Q: Happy New Year! Forgive me if this is a repeat question: Does anyone accept used Christmas cards any longer?

A: We get this question every year, so it's time to repeat the information.

Used Christmas cards - fronts only, please - may still be sent to Waipahu Intermediate School teacher Merlinda Oania at 98-596 Kaimu Loop, Aiea, HI 96701 (phone 486-0236).

Her students make alphabet books for delivery at Christmas to hospitalized children.