Re: [GreenYes] Recycling of soft and hardcover books at universities

[Sharon_Gates@no.address]

While researching a solution for our public libraries' recycling options, 
I found 2 ways of dealing with unwanted books.  The first is to find 
someone who can use the books.  Libraries do this on a small scale with 
book sales, school districts do this on a large sale by donating unused 
books to charitable organizations that send books to the "3rd World."  The 
Long Beach Unified School District works with a group called Children's 
Books of the World.  I'm sure some research would uncover many similar 
organizations around the country and the world.

The second way of dealing with unwanted books is to recycle them.  Books 
are a recycling challenge because of the binding, so the trick is to find 
someone who has a book guillotine for removing the binding.  Our libraries 
work with 2 fiber recyclers:  a local company called Pan Pacific Fibers, 
and Weyerhaeuser.  Our local conservation corps used to collect the books 
and remove the binding by hand, but this proved to be way too labor 
intensive and they stopped doing it.

Hope this helps.

Sharon Gates
Recycling Specialist
City of Long Beach, California
562/570-4694





Mary Appelhof <mappelho@no.address>
01/28/2003 01:58 PM

 
        To:     greenyes@no.address
        cc: 
        Subject:        [GreenYes] Recycling of soft and hardcover books at universities


(snip, snip)


>Hi there.
>
>i wanted to know if you could provide me some information on how to
>recycle books. The University I attend throws away a lot of books,
>and I don't think that is the best way to dispose of books. Are
>books recyclable? Most of them are soft cover. I have taken some
>of them to recycle, but I wanted your opinion.
>
>Please tell me what I should do.
>
>Thank you,
>
>saima khalil

(snip, snip)
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