What matters to us: Our environmental commitment
Background for Bookspeed
Are we the greenest book supplier? We are so proud of our environmental commitment and green policy. It is something we are constantly evolving since Bookspeed began and are always aiming to make it the best we possibly can. We know how important it is to you all and we are so proud to be one of the trailblazing companies.
Bookspeed was actually part of the first edition of John Button’s Green Pages back in 1988. John Button’s directory is a compilation of all things green and includes selected companies selling natural products, services, resources and/or ideas. Indeed, it has become easier over the years to become green, as it has been understandably elevated to a global concern.
Where we sit within the book industry
As a company we understand that we, along with the entire supply chain we sit within, has an impact on the environment. We equally have a responsibility to minimise the impact as much as we can. After all, we are passionate about the written word and paper is the main ingredient.
FSC
FSC works tirelessly to protect our forests for future generations through its global forest certification system. Practically this means that from the moment timber leaves an FSC certified forest, companies along the supply chain have been audited against FSC standards, and products bearing the FSC logo mean that customers can be assured that the materials it is made from are responsibly sourced.
You can check our more information on the FSC scheme here: https://www.fsc-uk.org/preview.fsc-in-print.a-1020.pdf
Here at Bookspeed we are committed to collaborating with publishers, working towards the highest standards in sustainability within the industry. We increasingly produce customer ranges that are exclusively FSC certificated and are working with publishers to ensure we have the most up-to-date and accurate information. The publishing industry continues striving towards higher ecological standards and Bookspeed is proud to be at the vanguard, encouraging and supporting our suppliers and giving our customers the information and choice they need.
Books have many lives
One of the most beautiful things about a physical book is that it can be read time and again by an individual or passed on to others to reap the benefits. They are tangible escapism and here at Bookspeed we are firm believers that the right book at the right time has the ability to change someone’s life. Books can be recycled in many ways and Recycle Nation shares 10 ways you can recycle your old reads here: https://recyclenation.com/2017/07/10-ways-to-recycle-your-old-books/
We care about packaging and distribution
Alongside careful stock control where we always strive to purchase prudently from suppliers to avoid waste in the chain of supply, we have done lots of research to ensure our waste collector can recycle the plastic wrap that books get delivered to us in:
Our energy production
We have solar panels on the roof of our warehouse & HQ. We installed two Solar PV arrays in 2016 onto our site with a reduction in annual energy usage to a level that is equivalent to only 3 average UK households! This is for a premises of 13,500 square feet and over 40 employees too!
Our solar power intake to the building is fed by these lovely tulips:
Our warehouse ventilation
In our warehouse we have a gated back door for ventilation and cooling the old-fashioned way! Without air conditioning, using wind power to get a breeze through the length
of the warehouse is something we are committed to, as it helps us to reduce our carbon footprint. We are in Scotland after all, so a cool breeze isn’t too difficult to come by! Likewise, the gated door allows for fresh air without letting in foxes, pigeons or robbers, whilst avoiding temperature-powered air conditioning.
Our packaging: air pockets
Our air pockets used for protecting our outbound book orders are made from a minimum of 50% recycled content. They are 100% reusable as well as being 100% recyclable too!
Our cardboard boxes
When we buy cardboard to package our customers’ book orders, we aim to buy cardboard that has already been made. This means it is usually either from cancelled orders, or from other industries such as excess boxes from the drinks industry. We consciously make this choice because otherwise it would be pulped to use again and although it would be used again, there are lots of chemicals which go into this process so that isn’t ideal for the environment!
As most of our boxes are reclaimed and reused, they tend to have other branding on them. So, to help customers identify their Bookspeed order, we seal the boxes with branded tape detailing our environmental commitment to packaging. Unfortunately, we still use plastic tape as it is better at protecting the products in transit. However, we will always look to change this when a sustainable alternative that protects customer orders just the same comes along!
Any cardboard that cannot be reused is shredded onsite; we send very little cardboard for recycling as we reuse as much as possible. The shredded cardboard becomes the base layer of protection against drops and damage of our boxes in transit.
The final product
And here is how it all comes together ... a reused box, filled with repurposed cardboard, and recyclable air pockets. Air cooled by nature and illuminated by lights that are powered by the sun!
The right courier matters
All of our boxes are delivered by the 'greenest' courier company in the country - and aiming for the best on the planet! https://green.dpd.co.uk/
What else do we do as part of our Green Policy?
We know that it isn’t just about how we get the books to you. We all play a part in living more sustainably and we think that should also be part of the workplace. Below we share what we currently do at Bookspeed HQ to play our part in protecting the environment for our future generations.
Electric / Hybrid Cars plus charging points
We are in the process of transitioning over our fleet of vehicles to hybrid or electric ones. We are also installing charging points that are free to employees and visitors. Following the Covid-19 pandemic we are taking the time to review what role travel plays in a modern, ethically driven business.
Challenging our waste service providers
We want to ensure that most waste does not even leave the building and that minimum waste goes to landfill. We have already mentioned that we recycle all non-reusable cardboard boxes by shredding it into protective packaging for customer orders, but we also recycle all other paper-based packaging materials. This results in minimal amounts of new paper use and reduces our waste collections by a third. Most of our remaining waste is white plastic shrink wrap used by publishers and/or printers, which is recycled by our waste collector, but we are exploring ways to reduce or recycle this ourselves. Increasingly printers’ packs are made from cardboard rather than plastic and we are pressing suppliers to use biodegradable material where plastic packaging is necessary.
Staff training
We hold regular refresher training for staff on how to separate and recycle their personal waste at work.
Water bottles
All Bookspeeders have reusable aluminium water bottles to fill from water coolers and are asked not to bring plastic water bottles into work. We no longer provide water in plastic bottles at trade shows.
Cleaning materials
Bookspeed changed to using only eco-friendly products in 2018 and no weedkiller is used on our paths and fire escape routes.
The Bookspeed Green Team
Comprised of five colleagues from different departments within the company, the Bookspeed Green Team was created as a result of a company-wide exercise held on 20th September 2019 as part of Global Climate Strike Action Day. Its remit is to investigate the feasibility of topics that were identified as goals and priorities in the exercise, and to progress projects as agreed.
Other bits and bobs we actively do
Cycle to work scheme
We believe in the health of our Bookspeeders as well as the environment so the cycle to work scheme was a no brainer for us!
We try to instill a sustainable approach for all of us here at Bookspeed and we are proud to be working hard to improve. We always will!
Equally, we know we don’t have all the answers and together we can make that difference to protect our planet! We would love to hear about your thoughts on how to make selling books more sustainable for our planet, and Dean is the person to contact: dean@bookspeed.com
