How to Recycle Books in Chicago: Where to Donate, Repurpose & Dispose of Unwanted Books

Books can't go in your blue cart, but you have plenty of options for keeping them out of landfills. Here's where to donate, repurpose, or recycle unwanted books in Chicago.

📚 Why Books Don't Go in the Blue Cart

Chicago's blue cart recycling program doesn't accept books because:

• Binding materials — glue, thread, and staples contaminate paper recycling streams

• Mixed materials — hardcover books combine cardboard, cloth, and sometimes plastic

• Processing challenges — books jam sorting equipment at material recovery facilities

The good news: donation and reuse options are plentiful, and they're almost always better than recycling.

Where to Donate Books in Chicago

Chicago Public Library Donations

Most CPL branches accept gently used book donations during open hours. Donated books support library sales, community programs, and branch collections.

What they take:

• Fiction and nonfiction in good condition

• Children's and young adult books

• DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks

What they don't take:

• Encyclopedias and textbooks older than 5 years

• Moldy, water-damaged, or heavily worn books

• Magazines (most branches)

Where to go: Find your nearest branch at chipublib.org/locations or call (312) 747-4300.

Little Free Libraries

Chicago has hundreds of Little Free Libraries — small neighborhood book-sharing boxes where you can drop off books for others to take. No appointment, no questions asked.

Find one near you: littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap — search by ZIP code to see registered boxes in your area.

Goodwill & Salvation Army

Both accept book donations at Chicago-area locations. Books are sold in stores to fund job training and community programs.

• Goodwill: Multiple locations across Chicago — goodwillchi.org/donate

• Salvation Army: Drop-off centers and scheduled pickups — (877) 731-2210

Open Books

Open Books is a Chicago nonprofit that accepts book donations to support literacy programs. They operate a used bookstore in Pilsen and a warehouse in West Town.

Drop-off locations:

• Pilsen store: 905 W. 19th St. — Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm

• West Town warehouse: 651 W. Lake St. — by appointment only

Contact: (312) 475-1355 or open-books.org

How to Recycle Books (Last Resort)

If books are damaged, moldy, or otherwise undonatable, recycling is the next-best option.

Remove the Cover First

Paperbacks: Tear off the cover and recycle the interior pages in your blue cart. Toss the cover in the trash (it's usually coated or laminated).

Hardcovers: Separate the cover from the pages. The pages can go in your blue cart if you remove the binding. The cover goes in the trash.

♻️ Creative Reuse Ideas

Before recycling, consider:

• Art projects — book pages for collage, origami, or papier-mâché

• Packing material — shredded pages work as cushioning for shipments

• Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange — a Chicago nonprofit that distributes donated materials (including books) to artists, teachers, and makers. Drop-offs at 6460 N. Sheridan Rd. — creativechirx.org

What Not to Do

• Don't put whole books in your blue cart — they'll contaminate the load

• Don't leave books on the curb — they'll get wet and become trash

• Don't donate damaged books — libraries and nonprofits don't want them and can't use them