Approximately 560 students in 11 elementary schools participated in this year’s telephone book recycling program of Carbon County.

Their combined efforts resulted in 24,800 old phone books being collected, a 35 percent increase over last year’s total. The county’s solid waste department calculated the total weight of the books to be approximately 52,275 pounds, or 26.13 tons.

The books will be shredded and turned over to a local farm to be used for animal bedding.

The Weatherly Elementary School topped the collections with 3,888 books.