Donate or recycle books near you

Find a nearby place for books

Set your location to search close to home. The finder only shows places linked to this item.

How to donate or recycle books

Donate readable books. Ask your council if damaged books can go with paper because hard covers and bindings can cause problems.

Possible recycling routes

Paper and card banksCharity donation pointsReuse shops and centresBring banks and recycling pointsHousehold waste recycling centres

Prepare books for donation or recycling

• Remove bookmarks and loose plastic covers
• Keep donation books dry
• Separate badly damaged books from reusable ones

What must stay out

Keep these items separate and check the site rules before you travel.

• Wet or mouldy books are not suitable for reuse
• Some paper collections exclude hardback books
• Libraries do not always accept donations

Types of site to check

These site types can list books. Each provider sets its own limits and access rules.

• Paper and card banks

  Public containers for clean paper and cardboard. Some sites use one mixed container while others keep paper and card separate.

• Charity donation points

  Charity shops, donation banks and collection services for clean, safe and saleable goods. Each charity decides what its local shops can accept.

• Reuse shops and centres

  Sites that accept usable household items for resale or redistribution. They can be at recycling centres or run as separate community projects.

• Bring banks and recycling points

  Small public recycling sites with separate containers for selected materials. They are often in supermarket, council and community car parks.

• Household waste recycling centres

  Council-run sites that accept many types of household recycling and waste. Local rules can cover booking, proof of address, vehicle permits and charges for some DIY waste.

Collection and take-back services

These services may offer another route when a local site does not list the item.

• Emmaus

  Local Emmaus communities accept selected furniture and household goods for reuse. Collection coverage varies.

• Sue Ryder charity shops

  Sue Ryder shops accept selected saleable donations. Some areas offer furniture collection.

• Recycle Now

  UK recycling guidance with an item directory and a postcode-based recycling locator.

• British Heart Foundation

  Charity shops accept selected saleable goods. Furniture and electrical shops can also collect suitable larger items from some addresses.

• British Red Cross charity shops

  Charity shops accept selected clothes, books, homeware and other saleable donations. Some specialist shops accept furniture and electrical goods.

Related item guides

• Cardboard

  Clean corrugated boxes, cereal boxes, card sleeves and other dry household card.

• CDs, DVDs and cases

  Usable or unwanted discs, games and their plastic cases.

• Paper

  Clean newspapers, magazines, envelopes, office paper, leaflets and paper packaging.

Browse all item guides

Questions about donating or recycling books

Where can I donate or recycle books?

Enter your postcode in the local finder to search paper and card banks and charity donation points and reuse shops and centres and bring banks and recycling points and household waste recycling centres near you. Check the provider page before you travel because item lists and access rules can change.

How should I prepare books for recycling?

Donate readable books. Ask your council if damaged books can go with paper because hard covers and bindings can cause problems.