Posted on: February 24, 2025
Until earlier this year, keeping books out of the landfill was tricky. They were not accepted as part of the Recycle BC program and not all books were accepted by second-hand stores or used bookstores.
When the City of Kamloops secured Planet Earth Recycling as a provider of book recycling services for Kamloops residents, the TRU Library team was quick to partner with the TRU Sustainability Office in making book recycling a convenient option for TRU students, faculty and staff.
A collection bin was purchased and placed at the south entrance to the Brown Family House of Learning, signage was updated, hauling services were secured, and a pilot was launched in April 2024. To date, a whopping 3,306 lbs of books have been diverted from landfill.
The program is made possible through ongoing support from the TRU Library team. The staff empty the collection bin daily making sure library materials haven’t accidentally been thrown into the mix. The books are moved to a mega collection bag serviced by Planet Earth Recycling. The company then sorts through the books ensuring those that are in good condition are set aside for resale or donation. Books that are ready for recycling are processed through a book cutter, which chops off the spines and hard covers to separate the paper pages for recycling.
Accepted items include:
- Hardcover books
- Paperback books
- Bound reports
- Spiral-bound notebooks
- Textbooks (please note, books published in the last 10 years continue to be accepted in the Textbooks for Change bin located in the Campus Activity Centre across from the TRU Bookstore)
Not Accepted:
- Water-damaged books (these are garbage)
- Plastic binders (consider donating these if in good condition)
- Magazines, flyers, newspapers, phone books, catalogues, paper envelopes, home and office paper (use the recycling bins at campus Zero Waste Stations instead)
Have a large volume of books?
Kindly submit an Archibus Request to have larger quantities moved directly from your office to the collection bag serviced by the hauler in the HOL Loading Bay.
To learn more about TRU’s goal of becoming a zero waste campus by 2035 and how we are working to get there, please visit the TRU Sustainability website.
