Carbon County Outdated Telephone Directory program is about to get under way. Elementary students throughout Carbon County will be competing to collect the most phone books from Feb. 1 to Feb. 17.

Participating schools will be keeping track of how many phone books are brought in. After the program ends, the recycling office will pick up the phone books for recycling.The five highest collectors will receive an award from Carbon County and a $100 savings bond donated by Jim Thorpe National Bank and First National Bank of Palmerton.in 2011, approximately 800 students participated, collecting 23,123 phone books. Since the program inception in 1996, Carbon County Department of Solid Waste collected 320,000 phone books. For more information, contact the Carbon County Department of Solid Waste or a local elementary school.CCDSW will also be giving an award to the student who brings in the oldest dated phone book. This book must be kept separate from the other books.