There’s a new, convenient way for people in Penticton to recycle damaged or out-of-date books that can’t be donated.
Starting Wednesday, Jan. 25, residents can clear their shelves full of old books by dropping them off at specialty bins at Penticton’s public library, thanks to the launch of a three-month pilot program.
The city says the project will prevent books from being placed in residential recycling carts, which contaminates the recyclables and negatively affects the community’s success rates.
“Unfortunately, a recent audit by Recycle BC discovered that books continue to be found in local recycling carts,” said Madison Poultney, a sustainability coordinator at the city.
“Previously, books could only be recycled at specialized bins located at Campbell Mountain Landfill, so we realized a need to provide a more convenient location in the city for residents to dispose of books that cannot be donated or resold.”
The city’s goal is to lower its recycling contamination rate from 13.3 per cent to 10 per cent or lower by November. Recycle BC does not accept hardcover and paperback books like novels, textbooks and reference material, hence the launch of the program.
Still, people are being asked to consider donating their books as a first option, if possible, before taking them to the new specialty bins.
According to the city, books in the bin will be destroyed and the paper recycled.
“The types of books that may be recycled include those that are torn, missing pages and cannot be read again,” the city wrote in a notice. “Others include old textbooks, out-of-date guides, encyclopedias and informational books that are older than five years.”
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