Updated June 8, 2017 – Denver Book Recycling, a book recycling company in Denver metro, closed it’s doors and took down it’s website recently. It would seem that they are no longer in business. Repeated calls to the the company were not returned.
This follows a May 2017 announcement that it was suspending it’s book donation drop-off program until it found a store to properly handle those services.
Books are hard to recycle and recent changes to how Amazon charges online used book sellers has raised book prices on Amazon but limited the universe of books which could be sold profitably. Book recyclers typically sell donated books through Amazon, eBay and other online channels to generate revenue. Goodwill and ARC are two thrift stores that sell used books and other items through Amazon and eBay to support operations.
Places to donate books continues to shrink
Denver Book Recycling’s closure is just the latest development in a trend that ‘s seen the organizations and businesses that take books, decline. PickupPlease, a partner with the Vietnam Veterans of America, is limiting the amount of books that can be donated to ten boxes and expect to get rid of the service altogether. They still take clothes, shoes, home goods. Savers thrift store closed all three of their Colorado stores, while the Jefferson County Library limits book donations to one box per branch. Larger donations can be brought to the Friends’ warehouse on 6th Avenue.
There are still a handful or organizations that take books. Better World Books donation box at Target in Edgewater, Colo is one of several throughout the metro area. Better World Book has ten thousand drop off boxes at libraries and shopping centers worldwide.
Broomfield High School students host a yearly book sale and look for book donations leading up to that sale, likely sponsored by an outside club, and I’ve seen these pop-up at schools as a fundraising or community service projects. Besides, Coyote Ridge Book, the Friends of the Aurora library store is great if you want to donate some books and browse a used bookstore.
Outside of Denver, I learned about a cool concept called One Dollar Book Swap. Currently, in Reno and Dayton I’m sure that wouldn’t say no to a used book donation. They do a great job of keeping books out of landfills. Like Book Driver, they sell most non-fiction and academic textbooks online through several e-commerce channels. The Dayton location is 723 Webster St Dayton Ohio 45404.
The Reno location opened last September, 2016, inside the Great Western Marketplace. 4855 Summit Ridge Drive Reno, NV 89523.
-Matt