Race is on to create Yellow Woods!

Schoolchildren across Three Rivers are about to join in the race to recycle old Yellow Pages directories and help increase woodland in England, one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

Thousands of local youngsters will take part in the Yellow Woods Challenge - the educational and fun environmental campaign for schools run by Yellow Pages, working with the Woodland Trust and Three Rivers District Council.

Yellow Pages is offering a share of £600 in cash prizes to schools that recycle the most old directories per pupil and a bonus prize of £100 to the school that demonstrates outstanding achievement in the environmental competition.

For every pound awarded to schools, Yellow Pages will give a matching pound to the Woodland Trust’s ‘Tree For All’ campaign - the most ambitious children’s tree-planting project ever launched in the UK.

Environmental Projects Officer at Three Rivers District Council, Jennie Moore, said:

"We would encourage residents to support their local school by giving a pupil their old Yellow Pages directory when the new edition has been delivered. It's a great way of reducing the number of old directories that end up in landfill each year, whilst teaching youngsters about the importance of recycling to protect their environment."

Richard Duggleby, Head of External Relations at Yell, the publisher of Yellow Pages directories, said:

“The Yellow Woods Challenge is a simple and fun way of engaging schoolchildren and local residents in a worthwhile environmental activity. At the end of the competition, all the old Yellow Pages directories will be recycled into brand new paper products.”

Residents should check with their local school to see if they are taking part in the competition. Residents living in all Three Rivers postcode areas except WD3 and HA can give youngsters directories to take into their school throughout April. Residents living in WD3 or HA postcodes are asked to give children their directories to recycle in schools during September, when the Harrow & Uxbridge directory is delivered. Old Yellow Pages directories can also be recycled at local Household Waste Recycling Centres.

For more information about the competition in Three Rivers, call 01923 776611.