Every activity has an environmental impact, and book publishing is no exception. For this reason, when buying a book, you can take into account the environmental impact of the design, the materials used when printing and binding, or the distribution system.
E-publishing incorporates sustainability criteria in publications throughout their entire life cycle: obtaining raw materials, design, printing, distribution, use, and the end of the product’s useful life. Therefore, the use of materials that have the least environmental impact and that do not hinder their subsequent recycling is encouraged, for example by avoiding the use of plastics.
Whenever possible, it is preferable to opt for books that incorporate these e-edition criteria. There is no international environmental certification that allows us to easily identify the books that meet these criteria, but we do find publishers that incorporate in their books information about the impacts associated with publication (carbon footprint, waste generated, consumption of ‘water, energy and raw materials).
In addition to looking for these types of publications, we can apply the following general recommendations:
- Check that the book is not already available in our environment. Often it is only necessary to consult it occasionally, and instead of buying it is better to borrow and use it temporarily.
- A book that incorporates locally sourced paper, recycled paper or, alternatively, virgin fibers from sustainably managed forests (FSC, PEFC or equivalent) is preferable. It should be noted that paper adds up to almost half of the environmental impact of a book.
- Choose local publishers, given that distribution adds up to a sixth of a book’s environmental impact.
- Prioritize the product with the lowest possible paper weight.
- Avoid products bound with elements that hinder their subsequent recycling. For example, avoid ornaments on book covers with other materials.
- Binding with techniques such as folding or sewing is preferable, and binding with glue should be avoided.