KTKA

An annual telephone book recycling project kicks off its 20th year at the Topeka Zoo.

City Manager Norton Bonaparte kicks off the recycling project known as Project Re-Directory Friday, Aug. 7, at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Hill's Black Bear Woods exhibit at the Topeka Zoo.

Books are recycled to make bathroom tissue, paper towels, pastry containers and Pringles cans.

Topeka hosted the first telephone book recycling project in Kansas, leading other communities throughout the state to set up similar programs.

McDonalds' Hamburglar will also make an appearance to entertain children attending the zoo. McDonalds is offering store patrons a free small drink in exchange for an old phone book.

Local businesses are offering other incentives to donate. Topeka Zoo will offer a Buy One/Get One Free admission to the zoo Aug. 8 and 9 to anyone who brings in a phone book. AT&T Yellow Pages is offering a Project Re-Directory patch for youth that collect 10 or more phone books.

The city of Topeka and Keep America Beautiful hosted the first telephone book recycling project in Kansas leading the way for other communities across the state to set up similar programs.

Phone book drop-off locations include:

* All Dillon Stores

* All McDonald Restaurants (except 29th & Oakley)

* Auburn Apple Mart

* Brookwood Covenant Church-3601 SW 33rd

* Carbondale Skip's Thriftway

* City Hall/County Court House (Circle Drive)

* Hoyt-Calderwoods

* First Christian Church-1880 Gage

* First Lutheran Church-131 NE 46th

* Holton Holton Country Mart

* Holton Ron's IGA

* Household Hazardous Waste Facility-131 NE 46th

* Meriden Country Harvest

* Osage City Jerry's Thriftway

* Oskaloosa Thriftway

* Perry/Lecompton Thriftway

* Rossville Wehner's Thriftway

* Silver Lake Wehner's Thriftway

* Topeka-Presidio,534 South Kansas

* Topeka-Quarter Midget Assn.,1121 SW University Blvd

* Topeka-Washburn Rural High School,5900 SW 61st

* Topeka Zoo

* Valley Falls Steve's Thriftway

* Wal-Mart Super Center-1501 SW Wanamaker