As a college student, you will certainly accumulate knowledge. Along with this knowledge, you will collect textbooks. You’ll probably spend a fair share of your money buying books for school, but once you’ve passed the class, what happens to the used textbooks? knowing what to do with old textbooks can help you save money and/or help a future student.
There are a variety of options for how to recycle and reuse old books. Let’s take a look at some of the best resources where you can donate, resell, or reuse old textbooks.
You are reading: Donate old school books
Also, if you want to get creative, there are some ideas of what you can do with textbooks!
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12 ways to recycle old textbooks
1. sell your books:
This is probably the first thing you’ll think of. You can sell your used textbooks in many places, but popular sites to do so include: amazon, bookbyte, and cash4books.
2. donate your books:
There will always be someone else who needs the book you once used. Regardless of condition, consider giving your books away as a donation. here are some good places where you can do it:
- your local library
- best books in the world
- a local charity
- good will or salvation army
- pick up please
3. send your books:
It sounds like a stretch, but have you ever thought about the people in different states and countries who might want your books? you can send your books to people in need.
Another idea if you send your books is to share them with inmates in prison. inmate books is just a service to help you do this.
4. recycle your books:
Help your books find new life in a different way! try local recycling programs. this is especially good for paperbacks.
5. change your books:
It may be the case that you need a book that another student has. you can rely on social media marketplaces, reach out to friends, or use a service like student2student to connect you with a person who has the book you need (and wants the book you have).
6. make a box of free books:
Have you ever walked through your neighborhood or school campus and noticed a box of free books? you can be a hero to someone else by placing your books in a public place with a “free” note.
7. decorate with books:
Want to be sneaky? you can use old textbooks as decoration. Check out this post for 5 DIY ideas!
8. rent books:
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Instead of being stuck on what to do with an old textbook, you can stop buying them in the first place. There are services where you can rent your textbook so that once you finish the class, you simply return it.
9. book loan:
Before you buy or even rent a textbook, ask your network of friends if they already have it. they may be willing to lend you the book at no cost. when doing this, be sure to be very careful with the textbook, as it is not yours.
10. auction and classified websites:
You can sell your used textbooks online on listing sites like Craigslist or eBay, for example. To find out how much to set your publication price, search for the book to get an idea of what other people are selling it for.
11. hobby centers, consignment merchants, and flea markets:
Take advantage of a real life market by taking your used textbooks to a flea market or consignment center and have them sell the book for you. this way, they can take a partial commission, but you don’t have to do the work!
12. garage sales:
As a college student, you may want to consider having a garage (or dorm) sale. you can advertise the sale campus-wide or, if you attend an online university, in a forum.
why we need solutions
You may be surprised to learn that in less than 18 years, our landfills will reach full capacity. books can create a lot of waste if they are simply thrown away.
The worst thing is that books should not be considered garbage! books are resources and can change lives. Books can easily be given a new life, either by donating them to someone in need or reusing them for new purposes.
check the value of your books
If you’re planning to sell your books online, it’s helpful to first find out what they’re being valued at to set a reasonable price. You can check out sites like bookscouter, which will help you rate your book based on its condition.
more ideas
As mentioned above, you can sell your books or give them to your friends. Another good idea is to take advantage of social networks to find people who want your books. Whether you post to instagram, facebook groups, snapchat, or anywhere else, you can expand your network of people who can access your book.
If you want to change the way you buy books in the first place, then you might as well consider using eBooks instead of textbooks. eBooks are electronic versions of textbooks and therefore do not contribute to waste. once you’re done with them, you can continue to digitally store them in your library or you can just delete them.
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cool ways to reuse old textbooks
You may have decided that you want to get artistic and keep all your books in a new way. now you need some ideas of what you can do with old textbooks.
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check out these fun ideas:
1. a safe for books:
You can cut out a space inside a book and use it to store secret items. no one will ever suspect that there is candy inside a book!
2. an invisible shelf:
You can create a shelf with an L-shaped piece of metal and hang it on the wall. then you can place your stack of books on it so it looks like they are floating against the wall.
3. a watch:
This idea requires some work, but you can actually create a clock from a book!
4. a lamp:
Do you want to take your lamp to the next level? consider placing it on a stack of books. that way you can better illuminate your space and use the area to store books.
5. a case for your ereader or tablet:
You can take out the pages of an old hardcover book and use the cover as a cover for your tablet or e-reader. In this way, you can ensure that your digital device is protected, while making use of a now obsolete textbook.
6. bookends:
textbooks are heavy. you can use them as bookends to help hold lighter books upright.
7. a headboard:
Do you want to absorb some knowledge while you dream? consider creating a headboard out of old textbooks. this is both artistic and efficient.
8. make art:
you can use book paper to draw. when you draw on top of writing, you add an extra element to the look of the art. then, you can frame your creations. Or you can cut shapes out of book pages for a 3d statement.
the final chapter
Finishing a class probably means having a book left over. you have so many options of what to do with old textbooks. From donating, reselling, reusing, and more, you shouldn’t have to waste time worrying about how to dispose of the stack of books you’ve collected as a college student.
Along with artistic endeavors and creative ideas, you can rethink your entire approach to books by switching to e-books. how’s that for a novel approach? (See what we did there?) The choice is yours. whatever you do, try not to just throw a book away.