Schools urged to take on recycling challenge - 24 June 2004
Basildon District Council's Recycling Team are 'making the call' to local schools, urging them to recycle old Yellow Pages directories and compete for cash rewards on offer as part of the nationwide schools recycling initiative, the Yellow Woods Challenge.The Yellow Woods Challenge is a simple, educational and fun environmental campaign run by Basildon District Council, Yellow Pages Directory Recycling Scheme and the Woodland Trust.
When the new directories are delivered during August, children from participating schools are asked to save them for recycling in the new school term.
The school that collects the most Yellow Pages directories per pupil (with either sandcastles, chicks, fish, sunflowers or 2003 ‘walking fingers’ on the front cover) will win £300, the second highest will receive £200 and the third, £100. Also, all schools participating locally will be entered into the national finals with the chance to win up to £2,000.
Basildon District Council will arrange for all the directories to be collected and recycled into new paper products.
All schools involved in the Yellow Woods challenge will receive a free environmental education pack, which brings recycling and woodland conservation messages to life in the classroom.
The Yellow Woods Challenge also supports the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. For every pound awarded to schools by Yellow Pages in prize money, a matching pound will be donated to the Woodland Trust to help keep native woodland alive.
Carly Cox, environmental promotions officer, with Basildon District Council said: "The response from last year’s challenge was amazing and we hope that schools will throw their support behind this mutually beneficial project again this year. The educational packs are extremely useful tools to help bring recycling, woodland and environmental issues into the classroom in fun and interactive ways."
Richard Duggleby, head of External Relations at Yell – the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said: "The Yellow Woods Challenge is a real winner. It benefits schools, communities, councils and recycling companies while helping the Woodland Trust to restore and improve woodland and increase children's appreciation and understanding of the environment."
To find out more about Basildon District Council’s Yellow Woods Challenge, contact Carly Cox on 01268 294889.
