A mountain of old telephone directories are being stacked up by schoolchildren across south Wales in UK-wide recycling scheme.

Called the Yellow Woods Challenge, pupils are competing for a cash prize awarded to the school which collects the most out-of-date Yellow Pages.

Schools taking part

Caerphilly Monmouthshire Torfaen Rhondda Cynon Taf Cardiff Newport Vale of Glamorgan

The disused books will be recycled into household insulation material like loft lagging.

Children living in seven local authorities in the area are taking part in the project.

Prizes of �300 will be awarded to the highest collecting school in every local authority from Yellow Pages.

The conservation charity the Woodland Trust will also receive money through a pound-for-pound initiative being run alongside the scheme.

Simon Hopkinson from the Woodland Trust said: "This is such an awesome scheme because it sends a positive environmental message and helps us in our work to conserve native and ancient woodlands."

There is a mountain of old yellow pages across Wales which could be made into material to keep your house warm Edwina Williams-Jones, Cardiff Waste Forum

The scheme is part of a wider recycling project called the Yellow Pages Recycling Challenge and about 1,000 schools across the UK are involved.

Edwina Williams-Jones from Cardiff Waste Forum, who is co-ordinating the project in south Wales, said they want everyone to take part.

"There is a mountain of old Yellow Pages across Wales which could be made into material to keep your house warm and reduce heating bills," she said.

"We want to encourage as many people as possible to recycle their old Yellow Pages.

"This scheme is such a positive thing because it teaches people about the importance of looking after the environment through recycling.

"It is so easy for everyone to get involved because everyone has a copy of the Yellow Pages.

Egg boxes

"People can give them to the schools taking part, leave them out if there is a kerb side scheme or even take them down to their nearest paper bank."

Recycled directories can be turned into a number of other products including animal bedding and egg boxes.

A spokeswoman for Yellow Pages said: "The new directories are delivered at this time of year and practically every household has a copy.

"So we want people to recycle their old one and help the environment.