We need your old books at the CHaRM!

Help Us Collect 25,000 Books to Serve Children in Need

Can you imagine a child not having a single book in her home? How about a child who is so unfamiliar with books he doesn’t even know how to hold one to read it? 

We can imagine it because we’ve met these kids. They live right here in Boulder County, and for the past seven years we’ve been working to get books into their homes and hands by supplying local charities that serve them with books collected at Eco-Cycle’s CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials).

Our book reuse program has been incredibly successful and heartening—since January 2004 we’ve donated nearly 96,500 books to children who now get to enjoy the magic of reading and story.

But we have a problem: The demand for books is increasing, but the supply has dwindled. Please remember the CHaRM the next time you’re clearing your bookshelves of unwanted books.

How to donate books and spread the word about this campaign

From Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare, paperback or hardback, we need books of all sorts for all reading levels. (We will also take your non-reusable books, such as manuals and dated reference texts, for recycling.)

• Bring your old books to the CHaRM at 5030 "Old" Pearl St. in Boulder. There is a $3 facility fee but no individual recycling fees for books. 

• Spread the word to your friends and neighbors through your online social networks that the CHaRM is accepting books and donating them to a great cause by "liking" or tweeting this page (see upper right corner).

• Hold a book drive event at your workplace or volunteer to be a collection point on your block for your neighbors’ books. (We’ll pick them up.) Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  for more info.

• Help us pay for this program by making a donation.

Some thoughtful words about our program

“Thank you for the books you donated. When I saw them I was jumping for joy. Everybody loved them. I was on top of the world!” - 4th grade ESL student

“Thank you for giving this wonderful gift of words, books and literacy to our patients!” - The staff of Clinica Campesina

Donating books at the CHaRM supports a whole network of those doing good work in our community

• More than 40 local charities that serve families in need and promote literacy efforts, such as Attention Homes, Boulder County Headstart, Casa de la Esperanza, Samaritan House, People’s Clinic and Emergency Family Assistance Association.

• Local Schools:Books are given to preschools and 26 schools that participate in Eco-Cycle's Green Star Schools program.

• A Work Program for Disabled Adults through the Non-profit Imagine! Workers process and recycle the pages from books that can’t be reused.

• Kids Programs:Hardback covers are reused to make creative picture frames and other crafts in schools and through Eco-Cycle’s Party with the Planet Birthday Parties for Kids.

• A Local Book Reuse Company:  An expert sorts through the books for valuable text and reference books to sell.

• Eco-Cycle: The book reuse company splits the book sale profits with Eco-Cycle to help support the CHaRM.