One Parking Spot Can Help Change the World.
Did you know that 2 billion pounds of books are annually sent to landfills across the world? How about that 1 in 7 adults are functionally illiterate?
Better World Books is working to decrease these numbers by providing a much needed (and free) outlet for pre-loved books otherwise destined for landfills. Through the Better World Books Drop Box program, businesses and organizations can host a Drop Box on their property to collect used or unwanted books from the community. This not only helps raise funds for literacy and education, but brings well-read visitors to the property again and again.
Books brought to a host’s Drop Box are then sorted by Better World Books to ensure they are put to their best use. The company sells those they can on betterworldbooks.com and 50+ online and offline marketplaces. A percentage of every book sold goes to support literacy and education. In addition, for every book sold on betterworldbooks.com one is donated, Book for Book™. Those collected books that can’t be sold are donated or recycled.So far, the Drop Boxes have helped support local public library systems, United Way, Keep Beautiful, childhood cancer research, local literacy councils, public schools and education foundations – as well as the company’s global literacy partners such as Room to Read, Invisible Children and Books for Africa.
In fact, Better World Books programs, including their Community Drop Box program, have collectively raised over $11 million dollars for literacy and libraries, donated over 6 million books, and reused or recycled over 70 million books. Want to help keep books out of landfills and support literacy? Find your local drop box here.