Inaugural Telephone Directory Recycling Program to Benefit Local Pontiac Soccer Program

PONTIAC, Mich., July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ultimate Break Soccer Program stands to be the big winner in Pontiac's inaugural telephone directory recycling campaign.

The City of Pontiac Department of Public Works, Veolia Environmental Services, and AT&T Advertising Solutions are combining their efforts to conduct the city's first AT&T Project ReDirectory effort to help improve the city's environment and provide additional funding for the new soccer program.

The Ultimate Break Soccer Program, a free program for 4th through 8th graders, will receive $50 from AT&T for each ton of directories collected between now and August 19. This soccer program is offered through the Pontiac Alumni Foundation and takes place at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.

State Representative Tim Melton (D-Pontiac) praised the cooperative effort of the public and private sectors.

"From an environmental point of view this project promotes recycling and a cleaner community and comes on the heels of reforms recently passed in the legislature that no longer require the printing of millions of unnecessary white pages," said Melton. "This is a great example of how the combined efforts of the public and private sector make our community better."

In addition to its environmental impact, recycling directories makes good business sense as they are converted into a variety of useful products including animal bedding, insulation, bathroom tissue, cereal boxes, roofing shingles, and new phone books.

"We want to make it easier for Pontiac residents to recycle materials," said John Balint, senior engineer City of Pontiac Department of Public Works. "We're excited about this effort, and we're pleased to work with these two organizations who share our goals."

Collection bins will be placed at the following locations:

• Pontiac City Hall, 47450 Woodward Ave., in the parking lot between the City Hall and the Police Department
• Robert W. Bowens Senior Center, 52 Bagley
• Ruth Peterson Senior Center, 990 Josyln
• Ultimate Soccer Arenas, 867 South Blvd, front parking lot.
• Veolia Environmental Services, 575 Collier Road

Veolia Environmental Services is donating the recycling containers and services.

"We're very excited and proud to participate in this recycling campaign," said Michael Bochenek, recycling account executive, Veolia Environmental Services. "As you might imagine, we feel strongly about recycling and want to encourage everyone in Pontiac to become more involved in these kinds of efforts, because it goes a long way toward improving the environment for all of us to enjoy today and for many years to come."

AT&T Advertising Solutions is no stranger to the recycling effort having started its award-winning Project ReDirectory program in 1989 and continues to support recycling through this program and others like it across the country.

"This program promotes recycling and environmental awareness in Pontiac," said Charlotte Shepherd, AT&T Advertising Solutions manager environmental issues. "Our goal is to bring businesses and customers together to improve the environment and support the communities in which we live, work, and play. We really appreciate the support we've received from the City of Pontiac Department of Public Works, and Veolia Environmental Services. And we are excited about the opportunity to help the Ultimate Break Soccer Program."

AT&T Real Yellow Pages directories are made from recycled paper waste and wood fiber waste such as sawdust and wood chips left over from lumber processing operations. Residents and businesses can call AT&T Project ReDirectory at 1-800-953-4400 for information about recycling outdated phone books in this community.

Print Yellow Pages remains one of the most effective and foundational elements of the multimedia mix. The continued relevancy of AT&T Real Yellow Pages is confirmed in recently-released results from M/A/R/C Research showing 69 percent, or nearly seven out of 10 adult consumers say they have used the AT&T Real Yellow Pages within the last year. And consumers turn to the AT&T Real Yellow Pages four times more often on average in AT&T served markets. Sixty-eight percent of consumers who used a print directory within the last 30 days said they used the AT&T Real Yellow Pages. In addition, CRM Associates, a market analysis and consulting firm headquartered in Boulder, Colo., released its 2010 Metered Ad Study of 14,600 advertisers with the same-size ad and heading in 2009 and 2010 showing calls increased from 5.7 million to 6.3 million-a 10 percent increase across the entire set of ads. And, our own internal data shows that more than 20,000 unique metered phone numbers appearing only in print Yellow Pages ads generate an average of 18 calls per month to those advertisers.

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