Every year 680,000 tonnes of books are discarded in landfills. But stacking so many books on your shelves that they fall over from their weight because you cannot stand to think of them going to a landfill isn’t the solution either.

In a perfect world, we would impart knowledge to others. Sharing our books is the best method to do this. We must examine how much material we actually need as we work to eliminate clutter in our lives. But how do you choose which to keep and which to throw away? It’s up to you.

To conserve information and protect the environment, I will cover everything you need to know about responsibly donating, giving away, and recycling books today.

Should You Throw Away Books?

I consider it unethical to throw away books! There is no justification for a lovely tale to rot in a landfill. Old books should at least be recycled if you are unable to find a new home for them or utilise them again. It can prevent them from ending up in landfill.

Binding and all, paperbacks are recyclable. However, it should be disposed of in the garbage if it became soggy or the pages went brown. Pages that have gotten so old that they are tanning cannot be recycled.

How to Get Rid of Old Books?

Sell Old Books

Starting by selling used books in your neighbourhood is the most environmentally friendly approach to selling your books. To learn more about what they accept and their payment methods, get in touch with a nearby used bookshop. Consider both independent booksellers and large chain used bookstores like Half Price Books. Selling some of your best-used books may be a wonderful idea in either case.

Books in good condition are most likely to be accepted for resale by book retailers. Of course, this makes sense because they need clients who will pay for your used books if they purchase them from you. However, unless you ask, you will never know what the bookstore needs. Bringing your used books into the shop is worth a try to see what you can sell. You

Donate Books

A fantastic alternative to selling books is to donate them. If you only have a small number of books to donate or don’t want to deal with the inconvenience of resale, think about giving them to your neighbourhood or to a larger group that distributes books to impoverished communities all over the world.

To donate used books, there are numerous options. Local book donations are frequently simpler and leave less of a carbon footprint. But if you do not have a local donation choice or have a unique connection to a national or international organisation, there are plenty of deserving book recipients all across the world who will profit from your donations.

Keep the books’ relevancy and condition in consideration when donating used books. Books that are out-of-date or damaged won’t be more helpful to the reader than they were to you.

Try the Free Mailbox Library

Why not develop a free mailbox library if you’re searching for a fun weekend project? Your neighbours and anybody who passes by can pick up a free book and swap it for one at this modest book box on your front lawn. You might end up being the trendiest neighbour in town by taking this technique.

Gift Your Old Books

Ask around to see if relatives or friends are interested in any of your books before making a big deal out of donating them. If they do not want or need your books, do not give them to them, but if they do, it’s not difficult to find a new home for them.

Organize a Local Book Exchange

Neighborhood trades and small-scale community gatherings are enjoyable methods to meet your neighbours and forge stronger bonds with other members of your hyper-local community.

Start a Small Library

By starting a Little Free Library, you can make your neighbourhood happier. There are currently more than thousands of little libraries in more than 100 countries. Basically, you place a box of books outside your house where neighbours and onlookers are welcome to grab a book or leave one themselves.

Repurpose Your Old Books

If you have an inventive personality, you might want to think about recycling your old books. There are a few creative ways to reuse books which helps in reducing paper waste. Check out Pinterest to get an idea.

Find a Book Recycler

Sending books to a specialised book recycler is the last way to recycle them. They will properly and expertly dispose of the book in environmental friendly ways.