Exams have ended, coursework is complete and now everyone can relax as summer has started for university students – officially.
But with stacks of now unwanted work, textbooks and random pieces of paper clogging up cupboards and covering carpets; the questions of what to do with old books remain. Students might choose to hold onto them in case of any possible resits, or just because it feels like a giant chunk of life disappears if the two parties part.
There’s the opportunity to donate books to YUSU at Fresher’s Fair in October, but that seems rather distant – and the effort of selling individual hardbacks and paperbacks on Amazon or eBay is certainly not appealing.
But now, a brand new service in place at the University of York is offering students money for their unwanted textbooks. Recyclabook – which buys from students books that are no longer needed – is based in the library every Friday afternoon.
The service, set up by two students, has now expanded to universities such as Cardiff and York. The pair secured thousands of pounds worth of business backing after winning the Young Start-Up Talent competition in Brighton, and have since been granted offices in York city centre to fully launch the company.
The idea of selling used text books to cash-strapped students – and buying unwanted books from those who could do with a few extra coins – seems attractive. And students can benefit from this service online or by attending Recyclabook events.
The service has already developed quite a substantial interest from the media; with the Sunday Times suggesting “…if more students showed this kind of entrepreneurial zeal, we could stop worrying about the economy…” – and a member of parliament claiming the idea “embodies simplicity, efficiency and remains environmentally friendly.”