What To Do With Old Books In The UK – Your Eco Options
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Wondering what to do with your old books? Here are eleven responsible ideas to pass on, recycle, or repurpose those paperbacks and hardbacks you no longer want.
If you’re an avid reader, then I’m sure you can relate to the problem of having bookshelves that are groaning under the weight of novels, textbooks, and non-fiction reads that you’ve long since finished. You want to buy more books, yet you need to make space for new ones.
So what is a responsible reader to do? Worry not. I’ve found lots of planet-friendly ways to pass on or recycle your old good reads in the UK. Whether you are looking to raise some funds for yourself or for charity, or you just want them to be read and enjoyed by others, there’s something for every circumstance.
What To Do With Old Books In The UK – Your Recycling Options
Here are eleven ideas to get you started. Use the links to jump to a specific section of this post, or keep scrolling for the full list of ideas.
- Pass On To Your Friends
- Donate Them To Your Local Charity Shop
- Use Public Donation Points
- Donate To Your Local School
- Donate To Your Local Hospital
- Sell Them Online
- Sell Them To Secondhand Book Shops
- Host A Table Outside Your House
- Donate To Your Local Little Free Library
- Upcycle Them
- Recycling Books
Pass On To Your Friends
Really enjoyed a book you’ve recently read? Rather than putting it on your bookshelf to gather dust, I’ve found there is nothing better than passing it on to a friend, to help spread the joy. As an added bonus, the next time you meet up, you can get together and dissect the plot and characters once they’ve finished reading it.
You can also encourage them to pass it on to another friend once they’re done, keeping the circle going.
Donate Them To Your Local Charity Shop
One of the most straightforward ways to part with your old books is to donate them to charity. Many charity shops across the UK, such as Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, and Barnados, gladly accept books in good condition. These shops then sell the books to raise funds for their valuable charitable work.
Oxfam even runs specialist bookshops in many cities, ensuring that your books reach keen readers while raising money for good causes.
Just make sure you give your local charity shop a call first, before turning up with a load of books. Storage space is often at a premium, so they may not be able to take a bulk donation of books.
If you don’t have a charity shop near you, then you may find a British Heart Foundation book donation bank at your local recycling centre. Here you can pop your books in good condition in the banks. These will be collected and then distributed to local shops.
Use Public Donation Points
Many supermarkets take donations of used books. They then sell them to customers for a donation or a small amount of money. The money raised then typically goes to the supermarket’s patterned charities.
Look out for supermarkets with secondhand book tables or shelves. In my experience, these are typically just past the checkouts, on the way out of the store. I’ve also spotted some banks doing this, as well as some leisure facilities, such as swimming pools.
It would also be really easy to set one of these up at your workplace. This would help pass on your old good reads, whilst raising money for a good cause.
Donate To Your Local School
Whilst public libraries don’t tend to accept donations of books, your local school may want gently used kids’ books for their school library. Try contacting your local school or nursery school, depending on the age range of the books, to see if they would like them.
My daughter had a bunch of books she had read and was looking to pass on. I contacted the office at the local primary school, and they were delighted to take them off our hands and add them to the school library.
It gives us a lovely glow to think that heaps of kids will get to enjoy these books. And then once the school are done with them, they normally sell them off to raise funds for the school.
If you have any current non-fiction books, then schools may want them too – at either primary or secondary level (depending on the topic and subject). It’s always worth contacting your local schools to check.
Donate To Local Hospitals
Some hospitals – including the North London hospitals of Ealing, Northwick and Central Middlesex – run book trolleys. Here patients can borrow a book whilst in hospital, to help pass the time.
As such, your local hospital may welcome donations of good-quality books from popular genres to help fill their trollies. These include classics, thrillers, romance, general fiction, and young adults.
Large print books are generally also welcomed by hospitals for patients with visual impairments. They may also accept books in other languages.
Not all hospitals do though. Many book trolley schemes were shelved (intentional pun!) in 2020, and haven’t been resumed due to infection control. As such, I recommend calling or emailing your local hospital before turning up with a load of books.
Sell Them Online
If you’re looking to get some money for your collection, there are heaps of sites that make it easy and hassle-free to sell online. These include:
All of these sites have downloadable free apps, where you can scan the barcodes of the books and get an instant valuation. You can then send your books off for free. You then get paid when your shipment arrives, not when they’ve sold the titles. I’ve used a few different services and whilst you don’t get a ton of money per book, it’s always nice to get a little money back to go towards your next read!
If you think you have something rare or valuable on your hands, I would skip these organisations, and head to AbeBooks. This shop specialises in the sale of collectable, vintage books and rare books, and helps connect sellers with buyers around the world. Do note that it costs £17 a month to sell on AbeBooks, although the first two months are free.
AbeBooks is owned by Amazon. So if you are looking for a more ethical alternative then Blackwells Rare Book Service is a good option. They buy and sell rare and collectable books in all fields, especially modern first editions, private press and antiquarian books on subjects from literature and philosophy to medicine and topography.
Sell Them To Secondhand Bookshops
If you have a secondhand bookshop near you, then many may offer to buy your used books for cash or for store credit. You may want to email first with a list of titles, before setting off, to make sure the trip is worth your while.
Host A Table Outside Your House
One easy option to pass on your old books is to set up a table outside your house. I’ve seen people in my area do this before – for people to take for free – and it’s a fun way to find new homes for your books.
Try to pick a dry day and bring any unclaimed books in before nightfall. You may also want to advertise on the local Facebook page for your area, or WhatsApp group that you have a selection of books available – particularly if you live on a street with little footfall.
Donate To Your Local Little Free Library
Another community-spirited way to pass on your old titles is to look for what’s known as a Little Free Library near you. Hundreds of cabinets have popped up across the UK, allowing you to leave a book and take a book for free, at your leisure.
I love that this one I spotted on holiday in the Scottish Borders has a bench next to it, so you can take a seat and read your new book straight away!
Find your nearest library through the Little Free Library website. And if you don’t have one near you, why not consider starting one in your local area? Little Free Library talks you through all the steps to get started.
Upcycle Them
If your book has seen better days, and passing it on or reselling it isn’t an option, then upcycling could be a great way to give your favourite a new lease of life.
Whether you make zero-waste Christmas decorations, a decorative wreath, floral decorations or custom lampshades – there are heaps of ways to give new life to something that would otherwise be binned. Try sites like Pinterest to find loads more clever ideas.
Recycling Books
If your book is beyond the point of reuse or upcycling then recycling is your last resort. But don’t put them in your paper recycling bin at home. According to Recycle Now “Books cannot usually be recycled at kerbside along with other paper recycling because of the glue that’s used to bind them.”
That doesn’t mean that books can’t be recycled. Some recycling centres may have media banks, where you can pop any damaged titles in for recycling. Check with your local council before you visit, for specific advice for your area.
More Ideas
Got any more top tips? Do share in the comments below!
And having a clearout, and looking for ideas on what to do with other hard-to-recycle items? I’ve got you:
- What to do with old CDs
- What to do with old videotapes
- What to do with old cameras
- What to with old records
- What to do with old pillows
- What to do with old glasses
- How to recycle paddling pools
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Hi,
Thanks for the helpful sustainable information you pass on. I was just wondering if there are alternatives to Abe books since they are run by Amazon and I have been boycotting Amazon for years now.
Thanks Tasha, my pleasure! And certainly, if you have rare books to sell and want to avoid Abe Books then I would try Blackwells Rare Books service: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/rarebooks There are also heaps of rare book dealers around the UK so you could also try searching for a rare book dealer near you.