How does the ethical pledge from bookshops to achieve a greener market relate to

community life?

Word count (excluding footnotes and bibliography): 2,997

Student number: 18137091

Referencing style: MHRA

Booksellers and Bookselling: INST0071

Dr Samantha Rayner
As an industry heavily relying on paper, the commitment of the book market to address

climate change is questionable. Over 400 million metric tons of paper is produced each year1,

with a third of the production used for packaging. Considering that 26% of landfill comes

from paper waste2, the large amount of packaging used to ship orders, as well as the

promotional materials included with new releases and the overconsumption of resources to

sustain the industry, bookselling is an extremely wasteful market. As society grows more

aware of their own power to limit waste or reduce their carbon footprint, it is critical for the

industry to review their position and explore their possibilities to comply with customer

expectations. The UK Booksellers Association’s managing director, Meryl Halls, claims that

‘bookshops [...] provide an ethical, value-rich shopping experience: that’s increasingly

important to younger consumers who are searching for meaning and who [...] want to shop

locally and sustainably’.3 Individually or collectively, booksellers must re-evaluate their own

environmental impact to find initiatives working towards a more sustainable,

environmentally-friendly business. It is thus interesting to how consider their pledge to

improve their ecological practices relates to community life and how it contributes to creating

a value-rich experience for the customer.

This paper will thus assess the wakeup call which stimulates booksellers to react by asserting

their position on climate change, explaining why measuring their efforts on the environment.

is beneficial to the services they provide and how these can be further developed based on

reports of transparency. By analysing how booksellers can coordinate both agendas on

1
Ian Tiseo, Production of paper and cardboard worldwide 2008-2018 (27 January 2021), Statista
<https://www.statista.com/statistics/270314/production-of-paper-and-cardboard-in-selected-
countries/> [last accessed 16 April 2021].
2
Paper Waste Facts ([n.d.]), The World Counts <https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-
Waste-Facts>[last accessed 17 April 2021].
3
Meryl Halls (September 2020), The Flip <https://www.the-flip.co.uk/topics/meryl-halls> [last
accessed 30 March].
climate change and community work, it is possible to provide a service both sustainable and

profitable for the future.

Nowadays, most countries have given top priority to sustainability on their agenda after

protests, petitions, and individual projects were put into practice. Climate change is a global

phenomenon, and it affects everyone, so entering the conversation is profoundly embedded in

sociological and political matters. As efficient solutions are critically awaited by all, it is

evident that businesses must react. Carbon emissions are increasing each year, resources are

rapidly decreasing, and harsh chemicals are irreversibly polluting soils4. With global warming

being the most important issue the world is facing5, small changes have a knock-on effect.

Consequently, booksellers have reunited to formulate a plan of action. Championing the

subject, the Booksellers Association has mapped out a Green Bookselling Task Force in

2018, urging their members to address their practices and be more environmentally

responsible. Among other things, they wrote a green bookselling manifesto6 and produced a

set of guidelines, emphasizing the importance for booksellers to adopt clear environmental

policies. Meryl Halls points out that:

It is vital that everybody in the book industry, from individual booksellers to

publishers, and from distributors to printers, makes a concerted effort to reduce

their environmental impact. Booksellers can take the lead in their communities,

4
The Effects of Climate Change ([n.d.]), Nasa.gov <https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/> [last accessed
17 April 2021].
5
Matthew Taylor, Climate crisis seen as ‘most important issue; by public, poll shows (18 September
2019), The Guardian <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/climate-crisis-seen-as-
most-important-issue-by-public-poll-shows> [last accessed 16 April 2021].
6
Green Bookselling: A Manifesto for the BA, Booksellers and the Book Industry (2018), Booksellers
Association <https://www.booksellers.org.uk/jointheba/jointheba/BA-Advisory-Council-
Members/JN095_Green-Bookselling_Manifesto_v09-(2).aspx> [last accessed 17 April 2021].
 and in the trade […] and the Green Manifesto is designed as a key step in

committing to doing more to be sustainable and ethical.7

Based on three major principles, the Green Manifesto stresses the emergency to prevent

further environmental decline, that organisations and individuals can do more than what they

are currently doing and so does the book supply chain. A survey conducted by the

organisation on their members revealed that, to reduce waste, 19.3% have switched to green

energy suppliers, 67.9% to local suppliers, while 63.2% have reassessed their shipment

process and packing materials.8 Although the results display a clear manifestation of change,

they also show evidence of the slow process to normalize sustainable practices in

bookselling.

A considerable factor of such discrepancies remains communication. The survey observed

that 59.1% of the interviewees received ‘unsolicited marketing materials’ from publishers, of

whom 85% complained they would like to have a choice; 56.8% acknowledged receiving

unsolicited proof copies, of whom 79.4% would appreciate to be involved, while only 33.3%

of all the interviewees informed their customers of their actions. The last statistics remain

remarkably negative, given that 967 independent bookshops are members of the Booksellers

Association in the UK and Ireland9. The rise in membership holders is an indicator of the

desire from booksellers to be collectively involved, but the lack of transparency on their

green activities could seriously impede the trust of their customers. The need for

communication is a motor of action because there is much to be done. Small changes are

7
Nick Clee and Jim Milliot, Bookselling Groups Ready Green Initiatives (23 July 2019), Publishers
Weekly <https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/80743-
bookselling-groups-ready-green-initiatives.html> [last accessed 17 April 2021].
8
Green Bookselling Task Force ([n.d.]), Booksellers Association
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/GreenBookselling> [accessed 17 April
2021].
9
Ruth Comerford, Indie bookshop numbers rose again in 2020, BA stats show (8 January 2021), The
Bookseller <https://www.thebookseller.com/news/indie-bookshop-numbers-rise-2020-ba-stats-show-
1232504> [accessed 12 April].
helpful, but without clear guidelines, and without opening the dialogues on what to do,

progress remains unnoticed. Showing their support, the Booksellers Associations in Australia

and the United States have joined them to reinforce their action on the international scene,

therefore highlighting a genuine commitment to improve the book trade’s environmental

pledge. The CEO of the American Booksellers Association, Oren Teicher, says, ‘these are

clearly global concerns, and we need to find new ways in which we can cooperate’10, while

Robbie Egan, of the Australian branch, agrees: ‘[o]ur colleagues in the UK have led the way

and we look to this example with the desire to emulate the initiative, and to build a

cooperative approach to improving( to improve or in improving) bookselling and the book

industry on both a local and a global scale’.11 Therefore, booksellers are dearly encouraged to

reconsider their options and be more transparent on environmental practices.

On the other hand, the efficacy of the proposed regulations depends on transparency. De

facto, a business’s pledge to action defines their ethical values and contributes to its

perception by the public. A business’s decision to improve its environmental policies and

their transparency about it is beneficial for both the business itself and the future of the

market since it builds their identity. Businesses have more leverage on communities than

governments. The bigger the corporation, the more leverage they have on society. The reason

behind this is that they provide a service to consumers who have decided to put their trust in

them, somehow reinforcing the beliefs they have in the business and in themselves.

Bookshops operating unethically lose the influence they have over their customers, because

people do not want to be assimilated with malpractice. So, for companies, taking action

begins with understanding what they must change. Customers were already demanding that

companies become more climate-conscious before 2019. Nic Bottomley underlined this fact
10
Nick Clee and Jim Milliot.
11
Ibid.
in his first annual report as President of the Booksellers Association: ‘As booksellers we need

to lobby to change that, but we also need to do all that we can to ensure our own bookshops

are as environmentally-friendly as they can be. This [...] is a commercial necessity and a

customer expectation’.12 The measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 has

further boosted the demand as “non-essential” businesses were forced to close down, with

many independent companies having no choice but to terminate their activity. Customers

grew more aware of how their shopping behaviour affects the economy and how damaging it

is for the environment. So when those businesses had to close, people were more eager to

rework the meaning of “shopping locally and sustainably”. Generally speaking, customers are

more likely to trust companies with high standards of transparency and ethics.13 According to

a study led by Label Insight in 2016, ‘94 percent of all consumers are more likely to be loyal

to a brand when it commits to full transparency’.14 These numbers could not be more

significant today. Businesses are expected to show evidence of their methods. Whether they

sell goods or services, if they want to differentiate themselves and earn the loyalty of the

consumer, they must provide information about their values and practices. These include

what they do to protect their surroundings, meaning their community and the environment.

Besides, building the trust of the consumer through changes in policies can induce an

encouragement to follow their example. For the second-hand books online retailer World of

Books, ‘[r]esponsibility starts at home’.15 This is also the opinion of Professor Jonatan

Pinkese, of the Alliance Manchester Business School: ‘Companies could have a huge

influence on customer behaviour if they manage to sell the(not required here) more climate-

12
Introduction, in Annual Report 2019 [n.d.], Booksellers Association
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports> [accessed 30 March].
13
Kenny Kline, Here’s How Important Brand Transparency Is for Your Business: Consumer trust
goes straight to the line (7 September, 2016), Inc. <https://www.inc.com/kenny-kline/new-study-
reveals-just-how-important-brand-transparency-really-is.html> [last accessed 14 April 2021].
14
Ibid.
15
Good for the planet ([n.d.]), World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-us/good-
for-the-planet> [accessed 2 April 2021].
friendly alternatives’.16 Presently, “to sell” can refer to the abilities of a business to persuade

consumers to adopt new habits. Hence, it is the duty of the bookseller to guide communities

to change. ‘We’re not going to solve the climate crisis single-handedly’, remarks Mollie

Barrow, owner of Sheelagh na Gig in Cloughjordan, an innovative ecovillage which focuses

on the benefits of social, financial and environmental sustainability to support their own

community.17 She continues, ‘I’ve learnt that it’s down to businesses to take action. If we

remove plastic cups, for instance, it’s easier for people not to use them. People need to be

offered a sustainable way of life.’ Operating changes within a business plays a key role to

economic and ecological sustainability. This is what motivates people to realise they can do

better. When the company they trust adjusts their policies or reshapes their services for the

better, then the connection between the customer and the company is reinforced. Since

‘seismic shifts are affecting the way consumers engage with online, big box, and local

retailers[, independent] bookstores prove a story of hope for community-led businesses’

according to Harvard professor Ryan Raffaelli.18 Then changes made in favour of the

environment contribute to the community feeling that consumers nourish for their local

bookshops.

The need for booksellers to maintain their activity afloat in the midst of a global pandemic

has not only pushed consumers to turn to their local businesses whenever they could, but also

bookshops to do more for their community. Because many bookshops did not have an online

presence, they had to create one. But online shopping , whose exponential rise called for

more resources, transportation, packaging and printing19, is extremely dreadful for the
16
How UK businesses can be ready for climate change (6 June 2019), The Telegraph
<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/tips-for-the-future/ready-for-climate-change/> [accessed 7
April 2021].
17
Mollie Barrow, Bookshops and their communities: Sheelagh na Gig, Cloughjordan, County
Tipperary, in Annual Review 2020 ([n.d.]), Booksellers Association, pp.22-23 (p.23).
18
Ryan L. Raffaelli, Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores (January
2020), [accessed 7 April 2021].
19
Mike Shatzkin, The supply chain for book publishing is being changed by Coronavirus too (19
April 2020), The Idea Logical Company, <https://www.idealog.com/blog/the-supply-chain-for-book-
environment as it contributes to the accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere too.

Although there is no perfect solution to counter these emissions, there are several options

worth considering to limit them. Carbon offsetting is one of them. Progressively gaining in

popularity, offsetting carbon emissions enables to neutralise these emissions. Companies and

individuals can measure their carbon footprint and gas consumption to finance green projects

across the world. Carbon is still being released because companies do not actually cut their

energy consumption, but they may compensate by making a positive impact elsewhere.

Having said that, the digital platform Bookshop.org has announced that they would offset all

UK book retailers’ home delivery emissions on 22 April 2020, known as Earth Day.20 Their

move comes from having lately been certified carbon neutral by Carbon Neutral Britain,

when the company achieved net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by offsetting all book

deliveries made via the platform. Committed to offer independent bookshops better visibility,

announced that they would not only offset their own delivery orders but also those made by

all UK book retailers in one day, insisting on leading the example. Nicole Vanderbilt, the

managing director of the UK branch, is hopeful: ‘Bookshop.org believes businesses can be a

force for good, and we are excited to play our own small part in the fight against climate

change’.21 Considering that deliveries are their main contributor to carbon emissions, their

achievements are greatly welcomed by all.

Additionally, there are other alternatives which may help communities save money while

benefitting the environment. Buying new books is costly, both financially and with regards to

the energy used to produce it. While some may want to switch to eBooks for their supposedly

publishing-is-being-changed-by-coronavirus-too/> [accessed 12 April 2021].

20
Mark Chandler, Bookshop.org to offset all book retailers’ delivery emissions on Earth Day (7 April
2021), The Bookseller. <https://www.thebookseller.com/news/bookshop-site-offset-all-retailers-book-
delivery-carbon-emissions-earth-day-1252208> [accessed 7 April 2021].
21
Ibid.
less wasteful properties -they do not use paper, they release less carbon dioxide as they are

distributed directly, yet consume more toxic components like zinc or arsenic, and contribute

to deforestation22-, others turn to second-hand bookshops and charity shops. Above all,

buying second-hand reduces waste, because the product already exists, so it saves paper,

water and energy, as these three components are required for production. Both online

booksellers, like World of Books, WeBuyBooks, and brick-and-mortar bookshops, can

specialize second-hand bookselling. Regardless of their business models, the outcome is the

same: to save discarded, unwanted books from the landfill. Adopting this system appears to

be a profitable bet for booksellers, as most of the books are either claimed for free or bought

at a much lower price. The market for used books gained in popularity over the last fifteen

years or so. World of Books, UK’s biggest second-hand book retailer, now stores over 2.8

million books, while Amazon understood the growing demand for cheaper books from online

customers. Their acquisition of the Canadian company AbeBooks in 2008 appealed to

another kind of readership, and they now sell used books from diverse retailers, with readers

just a click away from committing to recycling a book that was destined for landfill.

Although shopping for books on Amazon is not economically viable for businesses,

acknowledging their interest helps understanding the last profitability of the market.

World of Books’s convictions for a greener market nevertheless sets the example. For them,

responsibilities must start from home. ‘We all have a responsibility to make changes to our

every-day lives and habits to help protect our planet. We take this responsibility seriously.’23

The company employs all their efforts to provide an ethically-rich experience to their

customers, reducing their carbon footprint by 30% per book in 2020, recycling 61.7 million

22
Carbon footprint, which is better? eBooks or traditional books? [n.d.], Acciona
<https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-life/carbon-footprint-which-is-better-ebooks-or-
traditional-books/> [accessed 8 April 2021].
23
Good for the planet ([n.d.]), World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-us/good-
for-the-planet>.
books, and saving 26,563 tonnes of new paper.24 Believing there is more to be done, they are

constantly working on improving their packaging, currently composed of 30% recycled

materials and fully recyclable, and aim to be carbon neutral by 2022. More recently, their

new service helps retailers close the loop between new purchases, use and reuse. At present,

they have collected and donated over 100,000 books to charities, and plan on collecting 1

million by the end of 2021.

Books are […] are critical to the development of individuals, communities and

economies. As a community of book lovers, we understand the power of words,

stories and knowledge[...] We use the power of the circular economy to make

affordable books and literature available to all. Every year, we help millions of

used books find new homes - and give nearly 8 million people in over 190

countries access to low-cost literacy.25

“Low-cost literacy” is a notion which charity shops are well acquainted with. Although the

environment is not their prime objective, the fact that they offer to reuse books which have

already been produced at a lower cost supports the cause. Eventually, charity shops, second-

hand bookshops and those who offer both used and new books enable consumers to get

access to literacy at a much more affordable price, in a decisively supportive market. All this

while doing their best to save the planet.

Overall, the debate surrounding climate change and the actions which can be undertaken to

push booksellers across the globe to react is conjointly inscribed in a desire to extend

booksellers’ commitment to their community. By tracking and recording their own

24
Ibid.
25
Good for communities [n.d.], World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-
us/good-for-communities> [accessed 8 April].
contribution to building a greener market, booksellers actively indicate that they are actors of

change. Their example inspires communities to be more conscious of their own impact.

Stressing the essential knowledge that change cannot be brought about individually but rather

collectively, they offer a space of understanding, providing support and reassurance that can

be translated through their commitment to their customers. Accordingly, offering products of

better quality to customers because of lower environmental impact, sourcing suppliers with

higher sustainability standards, providing a second-home to used books and publicly

displaying efforts to reduce general waste and energy are evidence of the genuine interest

bookshops have for their customers, who can shop more ethically and environmentally-

friendly, oftentimes at no extra cost. For those who otherwise would feel distraught at the

mere idea of entering a bookshops or cannot always afford the expense of a new book, having

access to low-cost literacy is a priceless blessing.

 REFERENCES

Barrow, Mollie, Bookshops and their communities: Sheelagh na Gig, Cloughjordan, County

Tipperary, in Annual Review 2020 ([n.d.]), Booksellers Association

<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports>

Books & The Environment (February 2015), Booksellers Association

<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/BookSellers/BizFormFiles/ff8cc188-ff92-4c1b-

906c-4b60f04712bf.pdf>

Carbon footprint, which is better? eBooks or traditional books? [n.d.], Acciona

<https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-life/carbon-footprint-which-is-

better-ebooks-or-traditional-books/>

Clee, Nick, and Jim Milliot, Bookselling Groups Ready Green Initiatives (23 July 2019),

Publishers Weekly <https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-

news/bookselling/article/80743-bookselling-groups-ready-green-initiatives.html>

Chandler, Mark, Bookshop.org to offset all book retailers’ delivery emissions on Earth Day

(7 April 2021), The Bookseller. <https://www.thebookseller.com/news/bookshop-site-

offset-all-retailers-book-delivery-carbon-emissions-earth-day-1252208>

Comerford, Ruth, Indie bookshop numbers rose again in 2020, BA stats show (8 January

2021), The Bookseller <https://www.thebookseller.com/news/indie-bookshop-

numbers-rise-2020-ba-stats-show-1232504>

Good for communities ([n.d.]), World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-

gb/about-us/good-for-communities>

Good for the planet ([n.d.]), World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-

us/good-for-the-planet>
Green Bookselling Task Force ([n.d.]), Booksellers Association

<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/GreenBookselling>

Green Bookselling: A Manifesto for the BA, Booksellers and the Book Industry (2018),

Booksellers Association <https://www.booksellers.org.uk/jointheba/jointheba/BA-

Advisory-Council-Members/JN095_Green-Bookselling_Manifesto_v09-(2).aspx>

How UK businesses can be ready for climate change (6 June 2019), The Telegraph

<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/tips-for-the-future/ready-for-climate-change/>

Introduction, in Annual Report 2019 [n.d.], Booksellers Association

<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports>

Kline, Kenny, Here’s How Important Brand Transparency Is for Your Business: Consumer

trust goes straight to the line (7 September 2016), Inc. <https://www.inc.com/kenny-

kline/new-study-reveals-just-how-important-brand-transparency-really-is.html>

Meryl Halls (September 2020), The Flip <https://www.the-flip.co.uk/topics/meryl-halls>

Ryan L. Raffaelli, Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores

(January 2020)

Paper Waste Facts ([n.d.]), The World Counts

<https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-Waste-Facts>

Taylor, Matthew, Climate crisis seen as ‘most important issue; by public, poll shows (18

September 2019), The Guardian

<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/climate-crisis-seen-as-most-

important-issue-by-public-poll-shows>

The Effects of Climate Change ([n.d.]), Nasa.gov <https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/>

Tiseo, Ian, Production of paper and cardboard worldwide 2008-2018 (27 January 2021),

Statista <https://www.statista.com/statistics/270314/production-of-paper-and-

cardboard-in-selected-countries/>
Shatzkin, Mike, The supply chain for book publishing is being changed by Coronavirus too

(19 April 2020), The Idea Logical Company <https://www.idealog.com/blog/the-

supply-chain-for-book-publishing-is-being-changed-by-coronavirus-too/>