How can I reuse or recycle a load of old school textbooks?
We’ve had an email from Peri, asking:
I have many old school textbooks that i don’t need any more. how do i recycle them cheaply?
Peri doesn’t give any more information about how many is “many” or how old is “old” but I imagine it’ll be more than would be accepted in the standard waste system and old enough that they’re either too tattered or too out-of-date for use by other children.
So any suggestions about what can be done with them?
(And on a related topic, anyone got fun ideas for ways to cheaply protect new textbooks in the future? I remember that sticky-backed plastic was the standard thing we used for textbooks and exercise books but wallpaper was also fairly hardy – and often gave a fun surface to doodle on – and one of my school friend’s used newspaper, specifically the pink-coloured Financial Times, which looks great.)
(Stock photo by lusi – and our first reuse: “world’s most uncomfortable pillow” ;) )
You could use them to make altered books, which is artistic and fun, especially if you do it as a group project with some friends.
If these textbooks are current enough they can be sold at an online bookstore such as half.com and fetch quite a good price. If you wish to donate there are organizations that would be happy to get them booksforarfica.org.
Put them in your car and take them to the nearest TP factory. Also, here in Bulgaria we have recycling buy-out points, where they actually give you money for your old paper.
Make a really nerdy clock, perhaps a gift for the professor who taught the class?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Literary-Clock/
A lot of schools sell used textbooks at their bookstores. I’m sure you could sell them there. Or, you could see if anyone would be willing to buy them directly from you. If the books are totally out of date, altered books are indeed fun to make.
I have the same problem. I have about two dozen SAT/SAT Subject/ACT study guides that I desperately want OUT of my house. They’ve never been written in so they’re in great shape…but they’re for the 2005 (and before) SAT since an SAT tutor gave them to me when I was in high school. And since those tests have been changed, the material isn’t the same so I can’t donate them back to the high school (like I had planned on).
I’d feel bad about just throwing them in the garbage can (because a book is a book is a book) and we do have a couple used bookstores but really, no one is going to get any use from them. And since they’re plain old ugly black-and-white textbooks, other than carving out the center to make a “hidden treasure” spot, I don’t know what kind of cool artsy thing you could really do with those.
If you have a thick book here is what you can do: just go to this site:http://www.ehow.com/how_2181403_hollow-book-box.html
There are lots of paper crafts out there:
make a magazine bowl with the pages
http://howtomakedo.net/167/recycled-magazine-bowls
paper boxes
http://www.unikatissima.de/e/?tag=paper-folding
paper beads
http://www.tappi.org/paperu/art_class/paperBeads.htm
If the textbooks are out of date and too old to sell at an on-line used bookseller like half.com (where I bought a lot of my college textbooks BTW), use them as wallpaper! I collaged the pages from old out of date reference books as wallpaper in my powder room. I get a lot of compliments on it.
Tear out the pages and recycle that paper together with office paper.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Invisible-Book-Shelf/
I am excited to try this floating book shelf. I think text books would make an excellent base.
I would sugest donating them to GreenTextbooks.org
Save Money, Save The Planet
GreenTextbooks.org specializes in the recycling of textbooks, DVDs, CDs. Buying used textbooks not only saves you money, but cuts down on greenhouse gases caused by the manufacturing of new textbooks.
With GreenTextbooks.org you’re not only saving trees, you are saving some green.
http://www.greentextbooks.org
protect your new textbooks by making a bookcover with paper bags. cheap and you’re reusing! I rubber stamped mine to add a lil something.
http://flickr.com/#/photos/ecomonster/2957114616/
check out paperbackswap.com
if you post books, if someone requests it, you ship it to them at your expense. but you get credit for every book you post and you can get free books too!
How ambitious are you? If very..then try this.. LOL
http://www.vestaldesign.com/projects/bookbar/
You can easily turn them into a “Book Box”. Hard back book work better but I have made them out of paperbacks. They just look like books on a shelf but they are a sorce of storage. Remotes, love letters, extra cords/wires, and other things that will fit in the book box. You can find all kinds of “book” projects on line. Good Luck.
Store them in an attic for extra insulation.
You could ship them out to Kwara colledge of Ed. Oro
Kwara State
P.B.309
Kwara
Nigeria
and they will use them in their secondary or primary school.
I am working with VSO as a volunteer teacher trainer here.
I know the children in these schools have nothing.
Hi I have several books, text books, etc,, what sort of books do you require???
We have a load of old text books that need collecting …. anybody intereested.
we are in Bromley BR2 8HP
Pauline at pba@rws.uk.net
We have a load of texts book in the maths department, i was just wondering if you would like them.
If so could you let me know if someone will collect
thank you
helen buckoke
Simply go to http://www.readinternational.org.uk and contact us. We are a charity collecting books across the UK to sort and send to East Africa. We’re VERY happy to help :)
local comprehensive in South Wales just off the M4 has lots of good quality, books in good condition -biology, chemistry and physics
sorry forgot my info – south wales
biol, phys and chem bokks available
I have 11 boxes of good condition boxes from our local primary school library – does anyone know of any charity looking to collect such books ? Thanks, Jo