Rebecca Ellis/iStock
DCL
There is nothing quite like a good book and a cup of tea or coffee on a cold winter night. Whether you're curled up in a cushy chair at your fave cafe or bundled in blankets at home, reading is a fantastic way to unwind from the stresses of life (unless, of course, your read is a Stephen King novel or some economic doomsday manifest; but we'll assume it's not).
Now, it's true reading isn't exactly the most eco-friendly pastime. Sure you might be drinking a fair trade organic latte, but that new book with crisp white pages you've got in your hand is a little hard on the environment.
The book industry devours trees. In 2006, 3.086 billion books were sold in the U.S. and 4.15 billion were produced with 1.6 million metric tons of paper—only 5% of which was recycled. When you consider one ton of recycled paper saves 24 trees, the industry saved 1.92 million trees in 2006?but that's hardly enough.
As we wait for publishers to get their act together, there are a few things the average booklover can do to make his or her reading habit (and that ambition to create a personal library) more eco-friendly.
Some say the future is in electronic books, but I spend enough time looking at a screen every day?I want the portability, comfort and tactility of a well-worn book. Plus you can't forget to factor in energy issues when it comes to e-books.
So here are NaturallySavvy's tips for greening books of the paper variety.
First and foremost, buy used books. As the saying goes, one person's trash is another's treasure. There are great used bookstores around that carry quality books in excellent condition. You'll keep books out of landfills and save coin.
If you're buying new books, shop with a conscience. Look for books made with recycled paper—the more the better. Random House is committed to printing 30% of its titles on recycled paper by 2010, and Simon & Schuster has said they want one quarter of their paper to be made with recycled fiber by 2012. Also consider shopping at booksellers that are committed to reducing paper (yes, they do exist). In Canada, Indigo Books & Music is requiring publishers to incrementally increase post-consumer recycled content (up to 50%), and they've set similar internal paper use guidelines as well.
And don't forget to head to local shops?they often go to great lengths to protect the environment, they just don't always advertise it (so ask!).
If you're not interested in acquiring books per se, there are tons of great options for borrowing or trading:
- Libraries are the best source, with no cost (unless you're late returning them)
- Book swaps allow you to trade up on your not-so-great selections
- Borrow books from friends or family—and if you're loaning books, be sure to keep track of who has what!
- Check out BookCrossing, a world-wide effort to share books with strangers. In it's infancy three years ago, BookCrossing has 741,952 people in more than 130 countries swapping titles. Sign up at BookCrossing.com then leave books in public spaces for others to pick up and read?you can even track your book's journey online.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of NaturallySavvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
