This is a repost from my old blog. A slice of history, and may not fully reflect my current understandings or approaches of the topic.
This
post is not written with the goal that you should stop buying physical
copies of books firsthand entirely. Instead, it aims to give ideas of
how you can limit your impact by being more conscious about which books
you consume, how and how many. Pick which may work for you. However,
this post is written as a nudge against the sheer overconsumption and
materialism happening in and encouraged in the online book community.
Nonetheless, here are 15 considerations to make when you want to consume
books more sustainably.
1. Reduce the number of books you buy first-hand. First-hand books are great. Smell nice, look nice, they let you be a part of the hype trains but they cost and aren't that good for the environment. Producing a book from mining materials to finished copy contains a lot of resources. To mention one, a cause of deforestation which often leads to a loss in biodiversity. Most publisher houses have green certificates (trees), and I think it is important to keep an eye on them so you know what you're supporting when you buy a new, pristine book. Having had the history with books that I have, only one book has a piece of written information on it saying that it is printed on recycled paper. One. Book. And I wouldn't notice it if it wasn't stated.
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2. Buy second-hand, especially if you're looking for backlisted titles. By
purchasing second-hand you'll take books out of a waste stream
than contributing to it by purchasing a brand new copy. Personally, I
think second-hand is wonderful if you're looking for older titles or
classics. They'll most likely be easier to find.
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3. Buy & read on devices you already own. For example,
audiobooks, and e-books on your phone. E-books on your Kindle or any
electronic device that support it. What I've learned from "alternative"
copies of books is that I'm not particularly fond of e-books, but I love
audiobooks. E-books have always been this return to the screen that I
sought away when I started reading again. Reading was a break, not more
screen-time. However, e-books are in-handy when you're out traveling,
want a book cheaper, don't have that space or time to pick up a book
in-store, etc. It also saves a lot of resources that would go into a
physical copy of the same book.
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4. Limit yourself to 1 copy of each book. Personally, I can't see
why you would want all the edition of the same book. It's a lot of
money on the same content that I feel could be used better. In new
editions, you're often offered never-before-seen content from a world
you probably love, and as tempting as it can be, it would most likely
also exist as an e-book or files or not be as grand as you hoped.
Special Editions or Collector Editions is another type that builds on
the same principle of making you desire another copy because you're
offered something new in it, fx. a novella, bonus content, new cover or
cool illustrations. I think collector editions are the ones that most
prominently scream: I wanna sit on your shelf. To just sit there
collected. I mean, you have probably already read the book and from my
own experience, I won't be reading it again very soon or find that it
offers me more than short-lived satisfaction that comes with most buys.
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5. Donate, sell or gift books you no longer have any use for or want. This
one doesn't need a lot of explanation. It's pretty simple. When you
find yourself with a book you no longer desire or need, giving it a
second life is the best way to go. Donate it, sell it, gift it to
someone you think will like it. Just keep it out of the waste stream as
long as you can. You can probably reuse it if you're creative as well.
Make art, use the pages as props, paint it etc.
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6. Use your library so you don't have to purchase your own copy. Libraries
are probably one of the best places to go if you don't want to purchase
your own copy of a book. It uses so much fewer resources and it reaches
a lot of people by offering the same copies up to all visitors. It's
wonderful and it let you save money on reading as well.
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7. Lend your books to people you trust and borrow from them. Don't
just let the book sit when you're done with it. Most likely, I'd have a
greater value in the hands of someone that can enjoy it than just
sitting on a shelf.
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8. Don't cover buy if you hate it. This one is especially
directed at bookstagram. Cover-buy is a phenomenon that you will come
across. It's a book that has the most stunning appearance, but you may
not just be as infatuated by the interior. To speak about my own
cover-buys, I would insist that most of them were bad choices. They
weren't finished and now they are angry at me because I don't treasure
them as I should.
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9. Make
sure you genuinely want the book you purchase & that someone didn't
influence you to get a book you don't think you'll like. This one
intersects with #8. You need to look beyond the facade of a book, to put
it away, and thereafter make the choice if a book is for you. Despite
it being popular or aesthetic. Factors that often draws people towards a
read.
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10. Buy local or in-store if you can. Books you buy in-store has
already been shipped so you don't have to get one shipped all the way
from a warehouse just for you. I think this is very easy to notice when
you don't live in the countries that publish the books you want to read.
The shipping time is a good indicator that it traveled a long way to
get there, and it costs the environment in emissions as well as
packaging. If you find yourself needing a book that isn't in-store, look
for online retailers based in your own country.
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11. Foreign editions: wait until they come to a retailer in your country, in-store or is available secondhand.
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12. Bulk buy instead of single purchases to reduce packaging & shipping. I
believe the amount of emission made in shipping increase by ever kg of
weight, so if you know there are several books you want then buy them at
the same time to get them in less packaging and to make the most use of
the emission that you spend on shipping.
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13. Choose green shipping options if available. They will often take a longer time, but if you have control over when you need a book if you need a book to a special occasion, planning makes this super easy. As well, do some retailers offer plastic-free packaging if you request it.
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14. Recognize that the publishing industry like all industry is driven by consumerism. It's far from a secret and it envelopes all industry. They want to profit and there's a lot of ways they do so. Some, I've already mentioned. Here your role would be to be conscious of what your book buying habits mean for you and the planet and to try and make more responsible choices when you can. Some can be some of the points I've already mentioned, or others that you figure on the way.
14. Recognize that the publishing industry like all industry is driven by consumerism. It's far from a secret and it envelopes all industry. They want to profit and there's a lot of ways they do so. Some, I've already mentioned. Here your role would be to be conscious of what your book buying habits mean for you and the planet and to try and make more responsible choices when you can. Some can be some of the points I've already mentioned, or others that you figure on the way.
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15. Do you really need all the merch? Only collect and purchase the effects which hold real value to you. If it is just going to be stored in a box under your bed, it is most likely not worth it. A lot of the time, we're lured into purchasing a book or another copy of a book for these "special effects." Figure for yourself if they are worth it.
15. Do you really need all the merch? Only collect and purchase the effects which hold real value to you. If it is just going to be stored in a box under your bed, it is most likely not worth it. A lot of the time, we're lured into purchasing a book or another copy of a book for these "special effects." Figure for yourself if they are worth it.
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