SPECIAL recycling banks for old copies of the Yellow Pages are being installed across the borough.

The new edition of the directory is currently being sent out to households and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is urging residents to recycle their old editions.

The Yellow Pages cannot be put into green wheelie bins or the yellow-lidded bins at recycling sites, but they can be taken to one of the 18 special banks, along with newspapers, magazines, junk mail and catalogues.

The council's environment chief, Councillor Elaine Still, was one of the first people to recycle her old copy.

She said: "Many residents are already in the habit of regularly recycling old newspapers, bottles and cans.

"Over the next few weeks, we are asking them to recycle one extra item - their old 2006-07 Yellow Pages directory.

"If everyone in the borough recycles their old directory when the new one is delivered, it will make a real contribution to helping the environment by saving more than 100 tonnes of paper - equivalent to approximately the weight of seven buses - from going to waste."

The new banks are clearly marked with stickers and can be used all year round.

To find your nearest Yellow Pages recycling bank, or for more information on all of the borough's recycling facilities, contact the council on 01256 844844, e-mail recycling@basingstoke.gov.uk or log on to www.basingstoke.gov.uk/recycling

To cancel your Yellow Pages delivery, call the directory sales team on 0800 671444.