Rajalakshmi Waste Paper Mart to Stop Selling Books and Relocate Next Week

T. Ponraja, the owner of Rajalakshmi Waste Paper Mart, will close his 26-year-old scrap shop in Pallavakkam on East Coast Road (ECR) next week to relocate his business to Injambakkam. With this move, the shop will completely stop collecting and selling old books and newspapers, shifting its business focus exclusively to wooden and metal scrap.

The relocation marks the end of a nearly three-decade practice of selling used books to local readers at the Pallavakkam location. Ponraja is winding up operations at the current site, where the shutters will be downed for the final time next week. He will launch his business at a new address in Injambakkam on ECR, carrying over other scrap items but leaving behind the trade of used books and newspapers.

According to Ponraja, the decision is driven by economic factors. While old newspapers and books previously had a steady stream of customers, they did not generate significant revenue compared to truckloads of other scrap materials. At the Pallavakkam shop, Ponraja kept a metal rack next to his seat to display old books, pricing them individually rather than by weight to encourage book lovers to purchase them.

However, the supply and demand for used books have steadily declined. Ponraja noted that as smartphones became more popular, the volume of books brought to his shop decreased. He believes the downward trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as people became more dependent on digital technology for information.

"Even if I sell a book worth ₹499 for ₹100, there are no buyers," Ponraja said. He added that the lack of customer enthusiasm has caused him to lose the motivation to collect books.

This shift reflects a broader trend among local scrap dealers, many of whom are moving away from keeping old books for sale due to low profit margins, signaling a decline in the traditional role of scrap shops in the circular book economy.