Big blue bins popping up around Oregon are labeled "Books for Charity." But most of the books don't land in the hands of nonprofits or literacy groups.
The bins are managed by for-profit
Thrift Recycling Management, which ships the books to its headquarters for sorting. Thrift then sells 25 percent at online websites like
Amazon, pulps about 50 percent and hands the remaining 25 percent to nonprofits.
Local groups like
Friends of the Tualatin Public Library say the bins are deceptive and will unfairly siphon books from nonprofit efforts....