RecycLivre
RecycLivre operates a French and Spanish e-commerce marketplace for second-hand books, serving 3M+ customers with a 1M+ title catalog. The B Corp-certified company combines book buyback, resale, and B2B services through web and mobile platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RecycLivre does
RecycLivre is a Paris-headquartered e-commerce marketplace dedicated to second-hand books, founded in 2008. The company operates a buyback-to-resale model: individuals sell their used books to RecycLivre, which lists them on its online platform alongside a continuously growing catalog of 1M+ titles, with several thousand new listings added daily. The platform serves more than 3M customers, with the company positioning itself around the social and environmental mission of book reuse and circular-economy consumption.
The core product surface consists of the web marketplace (with iOS and Android applications), a Book Collection and Buyback Service for individuals, Recyclivre Pro for B2B buyers, Gift Cards, and promotional mechanics (sales up to 50% off, books from under €2, volume discounts of 5% at €30 and 10% at €50). Underlying operations integrate logistics through physical antenna locations across Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, Strasbourg, and Toulouse, plus a Madrid office, with free delivery to pickup points and partnerships with PointLivres and Boites à Lire. The company is B Corp certified and a 1% for the Planet member, embedding ESG positioning into its brand identity.
RecycLivre monetizes primarily via one-time consumer transactions on used-book sales, supplemented by gift card sales and B2B contracts through Recyclivre Pro. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across France and Spain, with no disclosed revenue figures. Its only disclosed institutional capital event is a 2026 funding round with Swen Capital Partners. The company remains privately held with a headcount of 11-50 employees.
RecycLivre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RecycLivre
- Legal name
- RecycLivre
- Website
- https://recyclivre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RecycLivre operates a French and Spanish e-commerce marketplace for second-hand books, serving 3M+ customers with a 1M+ title catalog. The B Corp-certified company combines book buyback, resale, and B2B services through web and mobile platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RecycLivre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Book Retail
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Books, Media & Entertainment Resale (CRAFAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Trade-in, Buyback & Instant Cashout Recommerce (CRAFAGAL)
Keywords
Where RecycLivre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
RecycLivre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Second-hand book sales: Recyclivre purchases books from individuals and professionals, then resells them to consumers through its online marketplace. Each sale is a one-time transaction with no recurring revenue from the same customer, though repeat purchases are encouraged through discounts.
- Book buyback service: The company buys back used books from individuals and professionals, paying them within 48 hours. These books are then resold on the platform.
- Gift cards: Sale of gift cards for purchase of second-hand books on the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Base pricing with volume discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
RecycLivre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RecycLivre purchases second-hand books from individuals and professionals, grades and lists them on its own e-commerce platform, and resells them directly to consumers via its website and iOS/Android mobile apps. It also operates a B2B book collection service (Recyclivre Pro) and partners with relay-point delivery, library deposit boxes and reading-access programs to support the circular economy.
Product overview
RecycLivre operates a unified online marketplace for buying and selling used books, complemented by collection and buyback services. The core platform offers over 1 million used book titles across 12+ genres (Romans & Littérature, BD, Enfants, Manga, Polars & Thrillers, Romance, Ados & Young Adults, Loisirs Nature & Voyages, Arts Sciences & Société, Bien-être et vie pratique, Scolaire, Vie professionnelle). The ecosystem includes gift cards for gifting, a B2B Recyclivre Pro service for professional book sourcing, and native iOS and Android mobile applications. Collection is facilitated through partnerships with PointLivres and Boites à Lire networks, and free home collection is also offered. Every book undergoes manual quality control and is graded on a four-tier condition scale (acceptable, bon, très bon, comme neuf).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RecycLivre Online Marketplace E-commerce platform selling second-hand books across all genres to individual consumers; the company's core catalog of over 1 million titles is browsable and purchasable online.
- Book Buyback and Collection Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 3 million customers trust Recyclivre
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use RecycLivre
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RecycLivre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RecycLivre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Point LIVRESminorPartnership for book collection and drop-off points. Point LIVRES provides book collection infrastructure that complements Recyclivre's online marketplace.
- Boites à LireminorPartnership for book sharing infrastructure. Boites à Lire (book exchange boxes) provide physical locations for book exchanges that work with Recyclivre's ecosystem.
- 1% for the PlanetcoreRecyclivre is a member of 1% for the Planet, committing to donate 1% of annual sales to environmental causes. This partnership demonstrates the company's commitment to sustainability.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RecycLivre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ThriftBooks: Largest US seller of used books, sourcing inventory through library partnerships and buyback programs. ThriftBooks parallels RecycLivre's marketplace-led approach and grade-based pricing model, though at significantly larger US scale.
- Better World Books: US-headquartered used book retailer with a strong social and environmental mission. Better World Books is highly comparable to RecycLivre given its mission-driven positioning, large used-book catalog, and donation-funded literacy programs.
- World of Books: UK-based seller of second-hand books with operations across Europe. World of Books shares RecycLivre's core business model of sourcing used books for resale at scale, with comparable catalog breadth and a similar collection-driven supply model.
- Momox: Germany-headquartered recommerce platform specializing in buying and reselling used books, CDs, DVDs, and games across Europe. Momox is the most direct competitor to RecycLivre, operating an analogous buyback-and-resell infrastructure for second-hand books.
- Ziffit: UK-based book buyback service that pays customers for used books and resells them online. Ziffit is comparable to RecycLivre's book buyback stream, though narrower in scope as it focuses on buyback rather than running a full consumer marketplace.
Broad incumbents
- AbeBooks: Amazon-owned global online marketplace for new, used, rare, and out-of-print books. AbeBooks is a broader incumbent in the same space, offering overlapping functionality but as part of Amazon's wider commerce portfolio rather than as a focused recommerce specialist.
- LeBonCoin: France's leading horizontal classifieds marketplace, including a substantial used books category. LeBonCoin overlaps with RecycLivre in French used-book transactions but operates as a much broader general-merchandise platform.
Regional players
- Casa del Libro: Spain's largest bookstore chain, with both new and used book offerings across physical and online channels. Casa del Libro is comparable to RecycLivre as a Spanish-market book retailer that RecycLivre competes against in its secondary market.
- Vinted: European peer-to-peer recommerce marketplace for second-hand fashion and lifestyle goods, with growing presence in France and Spain. Vinted is a comparable recommerce platform serving the same geographies, though its core focus is clothing rather than books.
- Libraccio: Italy's largest chain of second-hand bookstores, operating both physical stores and an online marketplace. Libraccio is comparable to RecycLivre in used-book retail model but is regionally focused on the Italian market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RecycLivre social profiles
Digital presenceRecycLivre compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
RecycLivre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RecycLivre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RecycLivre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RecycLivre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RecycLivre
What does RecycLivre do?
RecycLivre purchases second-hand books from individuals and professionals, grades and lists them on its own e-commerce platform, and resells them directly to consumers via its website and iOS/Android mobile apps. It also operates a B2B book collection service (Recyclivre Pro) and partners with relay-point delivery, library deposit boxes and reading-access programs to support the circular economy.
Is RecycLivre a public or private company?
RecycLivre is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RecycLivre founded?
RecycLivre was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RecycLivre based?
RecycLivre is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does RecycLivre make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Second-hand book sales are the primary driver. The others are book buyback service and gift cards.
Who are RecycLivre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ThriftBooks, Better World Books, World of Books, Momox and Ziffit. Broad incumbents are AbeBooks and LeBonCoin. Regional players are Casa del Libro, Vinted and Libraccio.
Does RecycLivre have an API?
No public API is recorded for RecycLivre.
What industry is RecycLivre in?
RecycLivre's product category is Used Book Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAGAF, Books, Media & Entertainment Resale, with a secondary code of CRAFAGAL, Trade-in, Buyback & Instant Cashout Recommerce. Its NAICS code is 459510.