What Clean Earth Books does

Clean Earth Books, doing business as A&B Media Services, LLC (a Georgia LLC), is a wholesale used-books business founded in 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. The company operates a 75,000-square-foot warehouse and resells used books through wholesale channels, claiming to have rehomed more than 10 million books and diverted more than 100 million pounds of material from landfills since inception. It sells at price points 40-70% below retail and ships nationwide from its Atlanta origin point. The business remains bootstrapped, with no external funding rounds disclosed, and operates within an 11-50 employee headcount band.

The core product set centers on Premium Curated Pallets (approximately 615 books / 800 lbs each) and extends into Decorative Books by Color (Modern and Vintage), Mixed Kids Books, and Mixed Media categories, indicating deliberate product-line extension into decor and craft buyer segments in addition to traditional book resellers. On the operations side, the company has invested in mechanical infrastructure over time: a conveyor-based processing line installed in 2013 and an automated sortation line added in 2021, which together raise inbound handling throughput and lower per-unit processing cost. No AI, machine learning, or advanced software systems are described as part of the operating stack.

The business model is wholesale distribution: revenue is generated by selling palletized inventory to resellers (including online arbitrage and decor buyers) at 40-70% below retail. Supply inflow is sourced in part through a donation bin and pickup-service network operated in partnership with Goodwill, Salvation Army, Live Thrive Atlanta, and Keep North Fulton Beautiful, supplemented by a host-a-bin program that lets third parties host collection bins. Co-founder Bryan Haynes departed in 2017, leaving Alan Walters as the continuing principal of A&B Media Services, LLC.

Name

Clean Earth Books

Legal name

A&B Media Services, LLC

Website

https://cleanearthbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean Earth Books is a wholesale used-books business operating from a 75,000-square-foot Atlanta warehouse, selling curated pallets and decorative books at 40-70% below retail to resellers nationwide, with supply sourced through donation-bin partnerships with nonprofits including Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Book Wholesale & Recycling Services

NAICS

Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers (424920), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Book Trade Wholesale (Print Books) (CRAOALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recovered Paper Collection & Sorting (OCC, ONP, Mixed Paper) (IMAMAKAA), Donation Pickup & Reuse Hauling (HSAKALAI)

Keywords

• Wholesale used books
• Book recycling services
• Used book distribution
• Book donation processing
• Sustainable book disposal

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Book Sales: Bulk wholesale used books sold to resellers, bookstores, schools, libraries, and nonprofits. Includes premium curated pallets, decorative books by color, mixed kids books, and mixed media. Books sold 40-70% below retail pricing.
2. Donation Processing Services: Free donation processing for individuals and organizations through donation bins, warehouse drop-offs, and scheduled pickups. Revenue derived from the volume of books processed and redistributed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clean Earth Books collects used books donated by individuals, schools, libraries, businesses, and community partners through bins and pickups, then sorts, grades, and redistributes them in bulk at 40-70% below retail pricing. Wholesale offerings include premium curated pallets, decorative books by color, mixed kids books pallets, and mixed media pallets, served from a 75,000 sq ft facility in Atlanta, GA with nationwide shipping. The company has rehomed 10M+ books and diverted 100M+ lbs from landfills since 2008.

Product overview

Clean Earth Books operates as a wholesale used books supplier and donation management platform, offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core wholesale offerings include Premium Curated Book Pallets (inspected and resale-ready), Decorative Books by Color (including Modern and Vintage Hardback sub-products sold by the foot), Mixed Kids Books Pallets, and Mixed Media Pallets. Complementing wholesale, the company provides donation services including 24/7 Donation Bin Access, Book Pickup Service for large collections, and Host a Bin Program for community partners. The platform serves resellers, bookstores, schools, libraries, businesses, and community organizations nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Curated Book Pallets Highest quality wholesale book pallets inspected through a rigorous grading system for condition, quality, and resale potential. Each pallet averages ~800 lbs (~615 books) and is ready for immediate resale on Amazon FBA, eBay, and other online marketplaces. Books in premium pallets are Good or Better condition.
• Decorative Books by Color Hand-selected real hardcover books organized by spine color, sold by the foot with no minimum order. Available in Modern (contemporary) and Vintage (pre-1950s) collections. Custom color combinations with preview photo confirmation before shipping.
• Decorative Modern Hardback Books Contemporary hardcover books sold by the foot for home decor, staging, and design projects. Custom curated by color with quality inspection and preview photos before shipping.
• Decorative Vintage Hardback Books Authentic vintage hardcover titles published in 1950s or earlier, sold by the foot. Features timeless charm with classic style for designers, stagers, and DIY decorators.
• Mixed Kids Books Wholesale Pallets Wholesale pallets featuring diverse assortment of children's books including board books, picture books, early readers, chapter books, and pop-ups. Minimum order quantity of 2 pallets. Unsorted mystery mix sourced from sustainable procurement.
• Mixed Media Wholesale Pallets Wholesale pallets containing mix of DVDs, CDs, Blu-rays, and video games. Unsorted and unprocessed for authentic wholesale variety, ideal for resellers, thrift retailers, and bulk buyers.
• Donation Bin Access Community donation bins available 24/7 at the warehouse location (5585 Westfield Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30336) and partner locations. Each bin holds over 1,000 pounds of books.
• Book Pickup Service Large collection pickup service for donations of at least 20 boxes (approximately 500 books). Scheduled via form or email at [email protected].
• Book Donation Bin Host Program Program allowing schools, businesses, nonprofits, and community groups to host Clean Earth Books donation bins at their locations. Partners receive reporting and impact data.
• Schools & Libraries Recycling Services Solutions for schools and libraries to donate and recycle outdated textbooks and surplus collections responsibly, keeping books out of landfills and back in circulation.
• Business Sustainability Services Partnership services for businesses to turn surplus books into positive impact, diverting waste, supporting readers, and strengthening sustainability story.
• Community Partner Program Collaboration with nonprofits, thrift stores, and local organizations to expand book donation access in communities through hosting bins or organizing drives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10M+ books rehomed and given second life
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Book Donation Bin Host OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Schools, businesses, nonprofits, and community groups that host Clean Earth Books donation bins at their locations. The Book Donation Bin Program launched in 2025 to expand outreach.
• GoodwillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNonprofit retail organization accepting donated goods. Clean Earth Books partners with Goodwill to expand book donation access in communities where Goodwill locations serve as collection points.
• Salvation ArmycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational charitable organization operating donation centers. Partnership enables expanded book donation collection through Salvation Army locations.
• Live Thrive CharmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Atlanta-area nonprofit focused on sustainability and community engagement. Partnership provides additional donation drop-off locations in the region.
• Keep North Fulton BeautifulminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal environmental organization in Sandy Springs, GA. Partnership provides donation bin location at their facility for community book donations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 2nd & Charles: Used books, games, music, and movie retailer operating under the Half Price Books umbrella. Comparable assortment strategy including books and mixed physical media, with retail-driven demand for wholesale supply.
• Half Price Books: National chain buying and reselling used books, media, and games across retail storefronts. Overlaps with Clean Earth Books' mixed-media pallets and bookstore customer base at retail (rather than wholesale) scale.
• AbeBooks (Amazon-owned): Global online marketplace for used, rare, and out-of-print books connecting sellers with buyers. Comparable as a used book sales channel and competes for the same downstream reseller economics Clean Earth Books enables.

Direct peers

• Better World Books: Used book retailer with explicit social and environmental mission, diverting books from landfill and funding literacy initiatives. Highly comparable mission-driven wholesale/reuse model with institutional partnerships and nationwide logistics.
• Powell's City of Books: Iconic used and new book retailer that buys, sorts, and resells used inventory at scale. Comparable in used book merchandising expertise and in handling bulk lots of donated and trade-in books.
• ThriftBooks: Large online used book seller operating a buyback-and-resell model. Directly comparable as a wholesale-adjacent used book operator with national fulfillment and similar reseller-channel economics to Clean Earth Books' premium pallets.
• Discover Books: Book recycler and wholesaler processing donated and discarded books into resale inventory and recycling streams. Operates large-scale sorting facilities and serves resellers, libraries, and schools similarly to Clean Earth Books.

Others

• Goodwill Industries International: Major donation-collection nonprofit that is both a Clean Earth Books channel partner (bin host) and a partial competitor in book reuse. Comparable donation-collection footprint and donor relationships.

Emerging players

• PaperBackSwap: Online used book swap/exchange platform operating a credits-based model. Comparable end-customer use case for the second-life book inventory that Clean Earth Books sorts and distributes.
• BookScouter: Aggregator comparing buyback prices from multiple used book buyers, channeling supply toward wholesalers. Competes indirectly for the reseller/SMB buyer that Clean Earth Books serves via premium pallets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Earth Books