Novel way to recycle unwanted books is coming to town.
An international logistics company is helping to write a new chapter in a not-for-profit enterprise’s quest to recycle and re-use millions of books and prevent them from becoming pulp fiction or sent to landfill.
PGS Global Logistics is the supply chain partner for Better World Books, a socially responsible organisation that provides a free-to-use service, collecting millions of books all over the world which would normally end up in a landfill centre.
PGS is now turning a page in the story by hosting its own donation banks at its offices in Kitts Green, Birmingham and Kidderminster.
PGS will arrange for books collected in these banks to be returned to Better World Books’ depot in Dunfermline, Scotland for processing and redistribution through second hand suppliers and literary partners.
PGS hopes to broaden the pilot scheme through its membership of the Pallet-Track and APC Overnight Parcel networks, by allocating book banks within other member depots, which will enable members of the public to donate.
To date, Better World Books has prevented 326 million books from being destroyed, of which 27 million books have been donated and 75 million books have been resold, raising in excess of £22 million for literacy projects and libraries.
Matt Bourne, Better World Books’ strategic sales executive, said: “We are a totally free service and all of the books we collect via our book banks, libraries, universities, charities and publishers are consolidated and taken to our Dunfermline warehouse by PGS.
“The books are then sorted and those that can be re-sold are advertised across multiple online market platforms as well as via our website.
“Any books that cannot be resold are donated to literacy initiatives or recycled, of which a percentage of that sale goes towards literacy – nothing goes to landfill.
“Our partnership with PGS is vital to the structure of the operation. The pilot scheme is a great opportunity for Better World Books and PGS Global, as it provides another means to preserve more books and hopefully encourage more people to donate unwanted books instead of throwing them away.”
Kerry Rayner, from PGS Global Logistics, said: “PGS and Better World Books have a long-standing relationship and we are always looking for opportunities to assist our customers’ business.
“We are piloting the book banks at our sites in Birmingham and Kidderminster with the view that if successful, we can roll them out across the networks which could result in thousands more books being saved from landfill.”
Members of the public are able to donate their books at the following addresses:
• PGS Global Logistics, 248 Mackadown Lane, Kitts Green, Birmingham, B33 0LE
• PGS Global Logistics, Unit 12/13 Finepoint, Finepoint Way, Kidderminster, DY11 7FB
For more details about PGS Global Logistics, visit www.pgsglobal.co.uk You can find out more about Better World Books at www.betterworldbooks.com.