Books
Donate good, usable books to local libraries, schools and community centers. Recycle unwanted books at a paper drop off bin or paper recycling company.
General interest books in good condition can be donated to public libraries, Little Free Libraries, schools and community centers.
Drop-off Recycling
Unwanted books, including hard cover and soft cover books, can be recycled at the paper drop off bins operated by River Valley Paper Company and Royal Oak Recycling, typically found in school or municipal parking lots, nonprofits, places of worship and in the Cleveland Metroparks.
Royal Oak Recycling (Paper Retriever bins) and River Valley Paper Company do not provide a list of their locations to the Solid Waste District. Check with your city service department to see if they have an up-to-date address list of paper bins in your municipality.
The Solid Waste District hosts a Royal Oak Recycling Paper Retriever bin. The mixed paper recycling bin is located in our parking lot at 4750 East 131 Street in Garfield Heights. The bin accepts books, mixed paper, shredded paper, junk mail, magazines, office paper, boxboard, cartons (no caps/lids) and corrugated cardboard.
Be a good recycler. Rain and precipitation in the District's mixed paper collection bin makes the paper wet and can ruin recycling efforts. We appreciate recyclers that close the lid of the bin after they've placed paper or cardboard inside it.
Books should be clean and dry before being placed in the paper bin. Covers do not need to be removed.
Home Recycling
Pages of books can be removed and included in home or curbside recycling. See how to unbind a book.
Learn more about recycling mixed paper.
For donation opportunities and businesses that recycle paper, see the list below.
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Looking to recycle, donate or dispose of other items? Use the dark blue 'What Do I Do With?' search bar at the top of every page of this website. Allow location services or use the city drop-down to find opportunities in your local area.