Eco-Friendly Reasons to Borrow or Rent College Textbooks

College textbooks can be a huge expense to students but there are some workarounds to help you save money. In addition to saving much-needed cash while in college, you can also appreciate these eco-friendly reasons to borrow or rent college textbooks.

According to Conservatree.org, the number of sheets of paper derived from a single tree is 8,333.3. CafeScribe statistics show that the average textbook has 715 total pages. The average student purchases 69.2 textbooks in a four-year college term. That's a lot of books, a lot of trees and a lot of money for the student who is already paying high college tuition and boarding costs.

Another problem with textbooks is that they are regularly updated so you may see new editions printed every 3-4 years. Buying used books might get you outdated material. Of course, every time new additions are printed, this means more wasted trees and when the previous editions become outdated, they are obsolete and no longer useful to college students. These old books often end up in landfills, too.

If renting or borrowing textbooks, you need to be sure you are getting the most updated edition of the book. This is not possible when shopping at used textbook stores that don't know if the edition you're getting is the right one. However, some schools are taking positive steps to be more eco-conscious and to help their students do the same.

Talk with your school about whether or not they offer a rental system for books as more and more are going eco-friendly and offering this now. Some colleges are also offering electronic versions of their course materials to be even more eco-friendly.

When you have tried all of these options, if you still need textbooks, there are websites that allow you to trade, borrow and rent current textbooks for your courses. Some of these sites allow you to rent textbooks with free return shipping. The savings can add up to $500 or more per semester and it's great for the environment.

Borrowing or renting college textbooks is great for the environment as well. You can save trees as well as reduce production costs from ordering more new books. When you're finished with your books, what will happen to them? You can continue to cycle by returning them when you rent or borrow. It will eliminate waste and help you stay on your already-tight student budget.