A community initiative turning recycling into children’s books.

Our mission is to provide free and accessible children’s books throughout San Diego through community recycling initiatives.

Cans4Books donating 1200 books to Liberty Military Housing in San Diego, California

How to get involved

Help get more books into kids hands, beautify San Diego, and get involved in your community!

Put your CRV cans to good use! Drop off at Cans4Books headquarters or at Randall’s Sandals in Pacific Beach.

We have several beach and community clean-up events planned for this summer and need lots of volunteers. Join us!

We’re looking for new recycling drop-off locations outside of PB! If you have a secure location we’d love to speak with you.

Take an active role in keeping San Diego beautiful. Get in touch to host a neighborhood or beach clean-up.

We’re currently raising money for a truck to take larger loads of cans to the recycling center! Donate to our truck fund.

We welcome donations of new or gently used children’s books! We will deliver them to our community partners and little free libraries.

Learn how a pandemic passion project turned into a literacy nonprofit.

It all started in 2020 when Trisha Goolsby started picking up recyclable litter in the streets of San Diego. With inspiration from a neighbor, Trisha realized she could use the recycling money to buy children’s books.
Trisha started getting involved in local town councils and other community events to collect cans and form partnerships.
So far we’ve recycled 9,904.05 pounds of CRV aluminum cans, glass, and plastic bottles! And received/donated over 8,000 children’s books to our local elementary schools, Little Free Libraries, and community events.