To keep disposed textbooks containing relevant information from reaching the landfills and/or being recycled back into paper.
Nuts and Bolts:
Every year schools are updating their textbooks to new editions. Some of these changes are necessary as the world develops and new information is discovered. Most of the time these new textbook adoptions are unnecessary and are an unnecessary burden to taxpayers. Like technology publishers love to tout their new and improved textbook that has been enhanced with breakthrough technology and teaching skills.
These “old” books become orphans and they are either thrown in the trash by school administrations or at best recycled. There are cases when books do become too old and are in bad physical shape and their time has come to return them back to their original source as paper. This process of recycling books into paper does have an impact on the environment. It is the lesser of two evils, but it should be avoided if at all necessary.
We work with Scarce - an acronym for School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education. I think calling them Scarce is easier. From their website their “Book Rescue” Program:
Schools or organizations working with children in need are welcome to choose books free of charge (although donations are always welcome).
Many of the books come from schools that replace their books, so most of the textbooks are in “classroom quantities” – the books are rescued from one school and provided for another school.
To date Books4Cause has donated over twenty thousand books to the Books4Teachers program.