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 year 1, with a

third of the production used for packaging. Considering that 26% of landfill comes from paper

waste 2, 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 climate change

and community work, it is possible to provide a service both sustainable and profitable for the

future.

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].
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 soils 4. With global warming being the most important

issue the world is facing 5, 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 manifesto 6 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, 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

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].
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].
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 Ireland 9. 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 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

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].
10
Nick Clee and Jim Milliot.
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 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
11
Ibid.
12
Introduction, in Annual Report 2019 [n.d.], Booksellers Association
<https://www.booksellers.org.uk/industryinfo/industryinfo/annualreports> [accessed 30 March].
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-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

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].
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).
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 printing 19, is extremely dreadful for the 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

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

deforestation 22-, 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.

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.
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].
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 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

23
Good for the planet ([n.d.]), World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-us/good-for-
the-planet>.
24
Ibid.
 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 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.

25
Good for communities [n.d.], World of Books <https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/about-us/good-for-
communities> [accessed 8 April].
 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/>