Good for the planet
We don't believe a book should be read once, or have a single owner. This underpins everything we do. We share the love of reading by finding books new homes so their stories can live on and be enjoyed by more people - or turn old books into something new by responsibly recycling them. This is the magic of the circular-economy.
Reuse creates a positive impact in itself, using less energy and resources. But we don't stop there.
Protecting the planet is part of our purpose. Climate change is a real and imminent threat - and we're committed to operating in a way that treats our planet with respect.
We’re carbon neutral!
What does being carbon neutral mean?
Being carbon neutral means we balance the carbon emissions released by World of Books direct operations by investing in global projects that reduce, avoid or remove carbon from the atmosphere. We’ve offset the emissions created by our: on-site electricity, gas and water usage, business travel, employee commuting, and van fleet
We’ve actually offset more than is needed to achieve carbon neutrality, so officially we are certified Operational Carbon Neutral.
Why is this good news?
Carbon neutrality is a positive step towards Net Zero (which is the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere). If we stop producing excessive levels of carbon then this will keep the earth’s temperature at a sustainable level. If the earth’s temperature keeps rising, we’ll see more extreme weather events, loss of natural habitats and species, and more!
What has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible?
It all began with a pledge in 2020 to become carbon neutral by 2022. Since then we have formed out own “Impact Programme Team” with people from all over the business, partnered with Greenheart, and invested in amazing projects that offset our carbon.
Which projects has World of Books invested in?
We’ve invested in eight amazing projects that not only offset our carbon, but also have positive impacts on education, employment and the health of communities where these projects are based. It was important for us to pick projects that actually make a difference rather than only investing in a company to become certified carbon neutral. We’re a company that does good and we put a lot of care into making sure we don’t greenwash.
Turning the old into the new
A few light scuffs here and there, and we can find a book a new home easily or donate it to a good cause. But sometimes the books we receive have been loved a little too much.
Last year, we recycled 61.7 million books - the equivalent to half a million trees - to be made into new products, working with specialist recycling partners.
Packaging that doesn't cost the earth
We want our customers to receive their books in the condition they bought them - and our packaging needs to protect their pages from the elements. But we've introduced packaging that significantly reduces it's environmental impact.
Our packaging is made up of 30% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.
We are constantly working on innovating our packaging - and working to improve this further.
Saving paper, protecting the environment
Through our community of thrifty book lovers and our commitment to recycling, last year we saved over 26,563 tonnes of new paper.
As we continue to grow, so will our impact on the environment.
Responsibility starts at 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.
From sourcing all our electricity from 100% renewable sources, introducing electric bus services for our people and using warehouse vehicles powered by lithium ion - the changes we've made to our day-to-day operations make a big impact.
Closing the loop
We've launched the world's first new book Buy Back service, powered by our trade-in app Ziffit, and available in major UK retailers.
We help retailers join the circular economy and further close the loop between new book purchase, use and reuse.