Residents urged to recycle phone books

Want to help keep Lenoir County a little greener? It's as easy as recycling that old phone book, instead of throwing it in the trash.

Onslow Container Service is now providing a free phone book recycling service in Kinston that will prevent old, tattered phone books from reaching local landfills.

Local residents can drop off their used telephone books at 1478 Bland Howell Road, OCS spokeswoman Micah Schachinger said.

Schachinger explained that old phone books can take up valuable landfill space.

"It adds up," she said. "This time of the year, everyone is getting new phone books delivered to their home."

All of the old phone books typically end up in the trash, she said. Dex publishers recently began delivering new Embarq phone books to local residents and businesses in Lenoir County.

Schachinger said the recycle bin at Bland Howell Road is marked with a magnet, allowing users the ability to find where to drop off their phone books.

Space at one Lenoir County landfill will completely diminish in about a year. Local officials have already started developing plans for another landfill cell that should open in about 15 months.

Schachinger encourages local residents to not only recycle their old phone books but other household items as well.

Chris Lavender can be reached at (252) 559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.