How to Recycle Old Textbooks

Each school year college students are stuck with at least one textbook that can't be sold back to bookstores because a new edition has hit the press. Frequently, that doesn't mean the information is outdated. Most new editions have a few changes, but most of the information is the same. Some subjects like math will always remain relevant. There are numerous ways you can recycle your old textbooks to keep them out of the landfill.

Help raise funds for nonprofits groups by donating your textbooks through RecycleYourTextbooks.com, which will take textbooks up to 20 years old. The group sponsors book drives that raise funds for organizations like the American Cancer Society and the Wounded Warrior Project. Any books that can't be reused are shredded to create new paper products

Give your textbooks directly to those that need them for educational purposes in other countries. Donate textbooks through BooksforAfrica.org, which distributes them to children in Africa. You can also donate books through BooksForTheBarrios.com, which distributes them to children in the Philippines.

Send your textbooks to prisoners through BooksThroughBars.org. Books are used to stock prison libraries and educate prisoners.

Use books you can't find a home for to decorate a table, chair, dresser or even a wall. Tear out pages with interesting pictures, designs or text and lay them on the item you wish to cover. Spread decoupage over the page evenly to secure in place. Repeat the process with other pages until your entire item is covered.