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How Does The Ethical Pledge From Bookshops To Achieve A Greener Market Relate To Community Life?
How Does The Ethical Pledge From Bookshops To Achieve A Greener Market Relate To Community Life?
community life?
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
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
improve their ecological practices relates to community life and how it contributes to creating
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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,
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 bookselling and the book industry on both a local and a
global scale’.11 Therefore, booksellers are dearly encouraged to reconsider their options and
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
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].
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Books are […] are critical to the development of individuals, communities and
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
“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
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
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
better quality to customers because of lower environmental impact, sourcing suppliers with
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
Barrow, Mollie, Bookshops and their communities: Sheelagh na Gig, Cloughjordan, County
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports>
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/BookSellers/BizFormFiles/ff8cc188-ff92-4c1b-
906c-4b60f04712bf.pdf>
<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),
news/bookselling/article/80743-bookselling-groups-ready-green-initiatives.html>
Chandler, Mark, Bookshop.org to offset all book retailers’ delivery emissions on Earth Day
offset-all-retailers-book-delivery-carbon-emissions-earth-day-1252208>
Comerford, Ruth, Indie bookshop numbers rose again in 2020, BA stats show (8 January
numbers-rise-2020-ba-stats-show-1232504>
gb/about-us/good-for-communities>
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),
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/>
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports>
Kline, Kenny, Here’s How Important Brand Transparency Is for Your Business: Consumer
kline/new-study-reveals-just-how-important-brand-transparency-really-is.html>
(January 2020)
<https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-Waste-Facts>
Taylor, Matthew, Climate crisis seen as ‘most important issue; by public, poll shows (18
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/climate-crisis-seen-as-most-
important-issue-by-public-poll-shows>
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
supply-chain-for-book-publishing-is-being-changed-by-coronavirus-too/>