You love reading books, and at the same time you care about the environment and don’t feel too good about all the trees cut down for printing these books. So what can you do to green up your reading?
There are several options for the eco-conscious reader who wants to act in support of the environment, and we are happy to share few of these ideas with you. One of our goals at Eco-Libris is to increase the awareness to the need in change in the book industry and we believe that readers can have a significant role in it. So here we go:
Join your local library.
My mother is a librarian for the last 27 years and I spent many hours as a kid and a grown up in the public library where she worked (you can still visit her at the library and say hi if you live in Rishon Letzion J). So you can imagine I am a big fan of public libraries, especially since a public library is not just a great cultural institute, but also a very eco-friendly place.
Public libraries are maximizing the usage of every printed copy and we need to remember that ‘reuse’ is a greener strategy than ‘recycle’. I don’t know the data about libraries in Israel, but according to the book “Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet” (recommended!), the average North American library lends out 100,000 books a year, but buys fewer than 5,000 books. Because less books are needed to be printed, the library is saving a huge amounts of CO2 emissions, or for those who are in favor of figures – 250 tones of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
Swap books with other avid readers.
Book swapping is a great concept: you get books you are looking for at no cost, give books others to enjoy and of course benefit the environment. It’s very similar to the idea of a library – maximizing the usage of every printed book minimizes the need to print new ones and saves many trees from being cut down.
Sustainable Gifts For Your Loved Ones: Many families exchange small
