What Should You Do With Your Books?
Free UK doorstep book collection
Donate & re-home your books – collected free from your door
Got a collection of books gathering dust? Donate and re-home them easily with Anglo Doorstep Collections. Our free doorstep collection service across the UK makes sure your books find new homes, while supporting incredible charities and promoting sustainability.
- 100% free
- No need to be home
- Books stay in the UK
Books in numbers
Why your old books matter
A book on your shelf could be the first book a child has ever owned. Here’s why re-homing them makes a difference.
1 in 10
children and young people in the UK don’t have a book of their own at home
1 in 6
children receiving free school meals don’t have a book of their own
4x
more likely to enjoy reading and read daily – children who own a book vs those who don’t
£2bn
spent on printed consumer books in the UK in 2024
10
medium-sized boxes of books we can collect in one go
£480k+
raised for charity by Anglo Doorstep Collections since 2021
Sources: National Literacy Trust (2025), Publishers Association (2024).
Why re-home books
The Importance of Book Recycling and Re-homing
Books are valuable resources that should never go to waste – yet many end up discarded or forgotten, adding to landfill. By re-homing your books you keep them out of the bin and make sure others can benefit from them, extending their lifespan so more people can enjoy and learn from them.
If you want to find out why you should donate unwanted books and why it matters, keep reading.
How it works
Booking a Collection with Anglo Doorstep Collections
Donating your books is simple and hassle-free. Watch our step-by-step video to see exactly how it works.
2
Pack your books
Box up books in good condition, ready for a new home. If you won’t be in on collection day, just leave them on your doorstep.
3
We re-home them
Our team collects from your door. Most of our books are re-homed to children and readers who want a book that feels new to them.
What we take
What Type of Books Can We Collect?
We aim to re-home as many books as possible so others can give them a second life. We’re happy to take both fiction and non-fiction, including:
- Fiction & novels
- Non-fiction
- Cook books
- Academic textbooks
- Children’s books
- Household book collections
Good to know
- Books should be in good, new-like condition – not marked, stamped or drawn in.
- We have a limit of 10 medium-sized boxes per collection, no bigger or heavier than our drivers can carry on their own.
- We can only collect from home properties – not schools, libraries or charity shops.
Why donate
Benefits of Donating Your Books
Every book you donate makes a positive impact on the environment and local communities. Whether you’re clearing out your library or just trimming your collection, let’s make a difference one book at a time.
Supporting charities
Whether it’s children’s books for schools and libraries or novels for avid readers, your donation makes a difference. Choose a charity to support when you book – meet our partner charities.
Sustainable reading
Re-homing books reduces the demand for new ones, conserving natural resources and cutting the carbon emissions linked to book production and distribution. We want more demand for pre-loved books!
A second life
We give customers the chance to pass on their once-loved books so they benefit others – rescuing them from the tip or general waste bin.
Want to know more about our book collections? Read more here.
Your impact
What Happens to the Books After?
All the books donated by our wonderful customers stay within the country, where they’re re-homed to readers who will appreciate them. Read about the incredible charity we regularly donate children’s books to.
Books that can’t be re-homed are pulped and repurposed into recycled paper – far better than ending up at the local tip. Every donated book goes wherever suits it best.
Coverage
Where Can We Collect Book Donations Near You?
Finding donation drop-offs can be a hassle – especially when different items go to different places. We let you donate all the different items you have straight from your doorstep. Here are some of the main areas we cover (green on the map):
Ready to give your books a second life?
Join the move towards sustainable reading. Book your free doorstep collection today and be part of the solution.