![]() Most media these days are printed using soy-based ink, which is easily removed during the recycling process. Does the ink on book and magazine paper affect recycling? That lowers the value of the resulting recycled paper, so old books are not accepted for recycling. That yellow color can contaminate the whiter, brighter lignins when yellowed and newer papers are recycled together. Yellowed paper is not recyclable because the lignin - the material in the cell walls of wood - has become oxidized. Why can’t I recycle books whose pages have yellowed or turned tan or brown? Paper mills also don’t want to pay for wet paper because it’s heavier with the extra water weight. Why can’t wet books and magazines be recycled?Įven though the paper recycling process introduces water, when you get paper wet and it dries, it manipulates the fibers (as a result, it feels more stiff). You may even have some Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood - a great way to give others a chance to read books you no longer want. You can also ask your local library if it accepts used books, as they can be sold to companies like the ones mentioned above or sold in book sales to raise money for library programs. ![]() These companies operate drop-off bins in many shopping mall parking lots. Companies like Better World Books and Discover Books will accept books in good condition to sell them online. You definitely want to check with your local program, though. Some programs specifically exclude hardcover books because of the binding, unless you remove it. Most curbside recycling programs accept magazines and paperback books as mixed paper. Because mixed paper fibers are smaller than cardboard or office paper, this paper is recycled into lesser-quality paper products, such as coffee filters, egg cartons and paper towels.įind a drop-off location for books and magazines near you using the Recycling Locator.įind Recycling Guides for Other Materialsįrequent Book and Magazine Recycling Questions Can I recycle books and magazines in my curbside recycling program? Finally, the fibers are rolled and dried, then sent off to make new products. Then, any ink and adhesive is removed and the paper fibers start bonding together. The mixed paper is then baled and sent to a mill.Īt the mill, there are machines called pulpers that introduce water and chemicals to break down the paper into fibers. Since both books and magazines are mixed paper, the first step in recycling is to separate these products from cardboard, office paper and newspaper grades. We only get 33 percent of our new paper pulp from recycled materials the rest must be sourced from tearing down trees and wood chips.Paper accounts for half the weight of all recyclables collected in curbside programs, and books and magazines are some of the heaviest paper products.Each ton of paper recycled saves 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 380 gallons of oil and 17 trees, not to mention 4,000 kilowatts of energy and 7,000 gallons of water.They also can still be used for a variety of upcycling projects. Consider donating them to used bookstores, thrift stores, or charities, which may welcome these items. Unless they’re no longer readable, they still have potential for reuse. If your books or magazines have gotten wet or the paper has turned tan or brown, there is no recycling market for this material.For hardcover books, you’ll need to remove the cover because it has non-paper components. ![]() For paperback books, you can recycle the book whole, including the binding.If the magazine came in a plastic bag, you’ll want to remove and recycle this separately.You can also leave the cover and binding. For magazines, you don’t need to remove anything from inside the magazine, such as staples, cardstock ads, or even perfume samples.While mixed paper has a lower commodity value (and thus a smaller recycling market) than items like newspapers, office paper, and corrugated cardboard, most paper mills in the U.S. When you’re ready to clean them out, hopefully, recycling is on your mind.īoth books and magazines fall under the category of mixed paper, which also includes catalogs and phone books. While magazine subscriptions are on a recent decline and book sales are holding steady, it’s likely you have a stockpile of both these products on your coffee table, in your bookshelf or collecting dust in the garage.
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