---
title: "Where do Books go? Donate or reuse"
description: "Charity shop, book bank or a street library. Paperbacks are recyclable as paper; hardbacks need the boards removing. Why that route, what goes wrong on the wrong one"
url: https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/books/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Where do Books go?

**Where do Books go?: Charity shop, book bank or a street library. Paperbacks are recyclable as paper; hardbacks need the boards removing.**

Donate or reuse

Books are wanted second-hand far more than people assume, and charity shops, book banks and community libraries all take them. Paperbacks that are genuinely unsellable — damaged, mouldy, outdated textbooks — go in the paper recycling as they are. Hardbacks have board covers with glue and cloth that pulping does not want, so tear the cover off and recycle the block. Mouldy books go in general waste, because mould spreads through a bale. A few councils exclude books from paper collections because of the spine glue, so check your local list.

## How to prepare it

1. Offer sellable books to a charity shop or a book bank first.
2. Tear the cover off a hardback before recycling the pages.

## What not to do

- Never put mouldy books in with paper recycling.

> Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

## Other things that go to donate or reuse

- [Clothes and textiles](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/textiles/) — Wearable: charity shop or clothing bank. Worn out: still the textile bank — damaged clothes are sorted for fibre and rag, not landfill.
- [Furniture (sofas, wardrobes, tables)](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/furniture/) — Reuse first — charities collect free. Otherwise a bulky collection or the household waste centre.
- [Shoes and trainers](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/shoes/) — Pair them, tie them together, and put them in a shoe or textile bank. Never in the bin.
- [Duvets and pillows](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/duvets-pillows/) — Not the textile bank. Animal shelters take clean ones; otherwise household waste centre or general waste.
- [CDs, DVDs and cases](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cds-dvds/) — Not kerbside recyclable. Donate playable discs; the polycarbonate needs a specialist and the cases are usually accepted separately.
- [Spectacles](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/spectacles/) — Opticians and charity collection boxes. Frames are reused, not shredded.
- [Wine corks](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cork/) — Natural cork composts and there are collection schemes for it. Plastic "corks" go in general waste.

## Common questions

### Where do Books go?

Charity shop, book bank or a street library. Paperbacks are recyclable as paper; hardbacks need the boards removing.

### What happens if you put Books in the wrong bin?

Never put mouldy books in with paper recycling.

## Related pages

- [Where do Clothes and textiles go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/textiles/)
- [Where do Furniture (sofas, wardrobes, tables) go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/furniture/)
- [Where do Shoes and trainers go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/shoes/)
- [Where do Duvets and pillows go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/duvets-pillows/)
- [Where do CDs, DVDs and cases go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/cds-dvds/)
- [Where do Spectacles go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/spectacles/)
- [Where do Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/batteries/)
- [Where do Lithium-ion batteries go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/lithium-batteries/)
- [Where do Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/vapes/)
- [Where do Medicines and tablets go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/medicines/)
- [Where do Pizza boxes go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/pizza-boxes/)
- [Where do Leftover wet paint go?](https://atoneplace.net/where-does-it-go/paint-wet/)

## Sources

- US Environmental Protection Agency — EPA (https://www.epa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]