What should I do with this: books

The second in my new weekly slot (the first is here). Please feel free to add your own suggestions and let me know which items you are struggling to dispose in a suitably green fashion.

So here are some ideas about what to do with unwanted books...

The Charity Route
So long as you have a decent number of books that are in good shape, there are likely to be book charities that will collect them from you. Especially if you’re London-based or in the South of England.  Try Amnesty International for its chain of second-hand bookshops (call 020 7033 1688 to arrange collection).

Another charity that will pick up is Education Aid. It sends books and other materials to countries in the developing world, but the books need to be less than ten years old.

Book Swapping
Join a book-swapping forum, such as ReadItSwapIt. You submit the books you want to get rid of, which gives you access to its online library. When you've found something you like you are given the owner's e-mail so that you can offer your own titles. When you're both content with your choices, you post each other the books.

Given them as gifts
A friend recently wrote to me to tell me that she had found the perfect way of slimming her book collection. For her mother’s birthday, she picked out a selection of novels that she thought she would enjoy and tied them up in ribbon and tissue paper. Since Mothers Day is coming up (2nd March), this strikes me as the perfect green gift. Thank you Mari.

Don’t recycle them
The one thing you cannot do with books is to recycle them in the normal way. The glue that binds them messes up the paper recycling process. Stay away from the green bin.
 

Comments

[hedgewizard]

Don't forget book crossing (http://www.bookcrossing.com/) - you print off an identifying label and then just leave the book somewhere. The label inside identifies the book as free to whomever finds it, and encourages them to read it and pass it on, or even log its progress so you can watch it migrating. Apparently they can go quite a distance...

[Danika]

Another bookswapping site is bookmooch.com, and the great thing about it is it's international.

[Hannah Phillips]

I am afraid you have picked the one thing I am bad at recycling. I do buy them second hand where I can but as for parting with them. I JUST CANT DO IT. I love having books around. I do borrow from the library a lot more now as I know that if I bought them I would not pass them on. I like your ideas, and book crossing can be quite fun. One of our local coffee shops can be quite good for book crossing and even the boys have found a few books this way.
I am therefore sorry to say you have found my green sin and I still can't bring myself to part with them!!

[Eco Worrier]

Hannah - aha, I knew I'd find your green sin eventually. I was beginning to think you were pea green perfect.
Hedgewizard - thanks for book crossing suggestion. Love it! Shall try it on my local park bench asap.
Danika - not heard of this one, so ta for the tip!

[DocBud]

Where is the sin in buying and owning books? I'd assume that virtually all books are printed on recycled paper or on paper sourced from sustainable forests so what's the problem? Sustainable forestry is an important industry, especially in developing countries. I for one am far more concerned about assisting people in developing countries to be lifted out of poverty, to have fresh water and to be free of curable diseases.

If you love books, Hannah, as I do, then they are not waste, they have a value. I can't part with many books, many are reference books, some I shall read again, some I'll want my children to read and others should just be in every book collection. Those we don't want we pass onto charities, not for any eco reasons, simply to help the charity.

I just can't believe that something as precious as owning books could in anyway be seen as evil, but then I don't get the whole ecoethics thing, there are no green dilemmas in my life.

[Hannah Phillips]

I have to admit I agree with you Docbud. Books are a precious commodity. Some of which like you I have kept for my children. Some which they are reading now were my mother's.
So in a sense they are not a bad thing green wise because they are being used over and over. But I can see the point that everybody who buys a book doesn't think like that. Some don't even read them full stop. But I would hate to see books become something we felt guilty about. I do love my books and although I am sure reading e-books would be far more ethical. For me it is just not the same as turning a page.
Still there is a debate in itself there. The e-book verses the paper book. Which is more ethical???

[Eco Worrier]

Heaven forbid, I didn't mean to suggest that anyone should feel guilty about owning books. I was only teasing, Hannah, about green sins. The point of the post was to come up with things to do with unwanted books. If they are wanted, then that's fine. No problem.

[Hannah Phillips]

Don't worry, I am not upset. I do have to admit that I don't use all the books I have. I quite happily admit to it being something I am not very good at. I do not take offense easily. You have to laugh at ones self now and then or else you become to serious!!!

[Storm]

Pages from unwanted books are also useful for scrapbooking and wrapping presents.

I know I shall draw the wrath of the unholy down upon myself for suggesting the former (since they're not acid-free and hence will yellow with age), but I like the effect :)

[Debbie in Iowa]

Many libraries here in the US will accept donations of books -- most aren't used in their collections (though some are), but are sold to raise money for the library.

Many hospital libraries would love donations of books, especially novels (and especially popular ones).

Trying services such as Freecycle and Craigslist is worth a shot too.