SCHOOLS across Sedgefield are to take part in a recycling challenge.

Children will be encouraged to take old telephone directories to their school for the 2004/05 Yellow Woods event.

The event is organised by Yellow Pages, the Woodland Trust, Sedgefield Borough Council and the Butterwick Hospice, to promote the recycling of old telephone directories into cardboard boxes by Foreman's Recycling, in Spennymoor.

Schools will get free packs to teach children about paper, recycling and woodland conservation and the schools that collect the most phone books per pupil will win money.

For every pound awarded to schools in prize money, a matching pound will be given to the Woodland Trust to support its new tree planting campaign. Schools taking part can also enter a Yellow Pages sculpture competition.

Last year, Sedgefield Hardwick Primary School made it to the national finals with their sculpture, Swampy The Crocodile.

For more information about the Yellow Woods challenge in Sedgefield, call the sustainable communities team, at Sedgefield Borough Council on (01388) 816166.