Green Book Fairies #14: Let’s Talk About… Books!

Well, we couldn’t run a whole campaign without mentioning BOOKS now could we?!

Let’s Talk About… Books!

Well, we couldn’t have #GreenBookFairies without mentioning books, could we?! This is all about how you could be be more conscious when it comes to book buying and sharing.

The problem:

An estimated 640,000 tons of books are sent to the landfill annually in the US alone; ordering books online adds to our carbon footprint and the packaging crisis; and it’s no news that bookshops are struggling.

The solution:

We need to do what we can to stop books ending up in landfill, reduce plastic use and support the book trade.

Love secondhand: support charities by buying books from their shops; ask people for secondhand books for gifts; support sites like @worldofbooksltd that save books from landfill; be a book fairy and share your pre-loved books by hiding them in public
Swap your reads: look for a local mini library; join schemes like the #FairyBookSwap;
Support your local bookshop: before buying online, call them to see if they deliver; shout about them online
Challenge unnecessary plastic: this is sometimes in-built into the cover (publishers in Germany and Austria are developing alternatives) but you’ll sometimes see it in bookshops; request ‘no plastic packaging’ when buying online
E-books: a great way to discover independent authors and save on paper, too
Get creative with damaged secondhand books – ideas can range from flower decorations to containers for food!

A publisher doing things differently

A small publisher in Austria called Luftschacht has been developing ways to avoid plastic in the publishing process and we think it looks beautiful!

Fairy verdict:

“There are a few things to consider to be a more green reader. Buying books second hand in charity shops or buying slightly damaged books that would have otherwise gone to landfill are not only better for our planet but also very budget friendly. I also love supporting independent publishers who made the decision to go plastic free and do so in very creative ways. ”
– Luna, Austria