I’m first looking at Swap Sites, and then we’ll be diving into the wonderful world of Kindle. Lastly, I’m looking at several sites you can download books for free. So, let’s get reading!
Fast Facts On The Trees Used To Make Books
Planet Green, a Discovery company, had these fascinating but sobering facts on the consequences of our book buying habits.
- There is a book published somewhere in the world every 30 seconds.
- One tree will provide enough paper for only 116 averaged sized books.
- It takes 4.4 gallons of water to produce one book.
- For every ton of recycled paper that’s used in a book, 24 trees are saved.
I’m not a math whiz, but when you do the numbers on this it’s mind boggling. For instance, how many trees do the major best sellers go through? I found one stat online that said a 250 page book that sells one million copies will need over 12,000 trees.
And, that’s just for that one title.
So, it’s easy to see why buying brand new print books might not be the greenest option. In fact, after finding those stats out I’m not sure I can walk into a bookstore and look at it in the same way ever again. Sigh.
Anyway, we’ve got some eco-friendly options here: Swap sites, the Kindle, and free downloads. Let’s start with book swap sites.
What The Heck Is A Book Swap Site?
A swap site is an online community of users who swap books (or cds, or dvds) with each other to keep from having to buy them brand new. They’re frugal, green, and pretty exciting (after all, who doesn’t love getting free books in the mail?)
Swap sites are only for books you don’t want back. After all, you’re mailing your books out to people who can keep them, or swap them with others if they want. You’ll never see it again once you send it out.
Here’s how it works: on the swap site, you list all the books you’re willing to give away. Next, you make a wish list of books you’d like to read.
The site then starts searching for you. They locate people who want to read the books you’ve got, and also find others who have the books you want.
Most sites work on a point system. That is, for every three books you mail out to someone else you get one point. Most books cost one or two points. This is going to be different on every book swap site, of course, but that seems to be the average from what I found online.
And that’s it. You mail your book out to someone, and get a book from someone else in return. All you pay for is the postage. Everyone benefits.
Swap Site Resources
Think you’d like to try using a swap site? Here are a few to get you started:
How I Greened Up My Own Reading Habit With A Kindle
I love books. I was an avid reader as a kid, and am an avid reader as an adult. This means that my library used to be completely and utterly out of control. I don’t know how many books I had (I never really did a master count), but it was a lot.
Since I fell in love with micro home living last year, however, I realized that 95% of my book collection was going to have to go. After all, if you’re living in a home that’s less than 500 square feet there’s just no room for hundreds of books.
So last year I began the heart-wrenching, emotionally traumatizing process of donating most of my books to the Carnegie District Library in Howell.
It’s been a long process, and I’m still not done. After all, if you love books then you know how difficult a process like this can be. I didn’t know about swap sites until just a few months ago, so I was unable to utilize that amazing resource. On the upside, however, my local library got the books, so I’m happy about that.
So, how have I greened up my own reading habits?
Well, I’m definitely not buying new books, that’s for sure. Now that I’m aware of just how many trees and energy go into producing one brand new book, I’ve sworn off new bookstores for good.
Instead, last summer I invested in a Kindle.
Kindle: Amazon’s Wireless Reading Device
Why The Kindle Is A Great Investment
Let me start out by saying that I love my Kindle. In fact, love might be an understatement. I adore my Kindle.
There are several reasons why buying a Kindle is a good idea if you’re looking to go green.
The first is the obvious one: you no longer have to buy paper books. You’re not using any resources to support your reading habit. All books are delivered wirelessly to your Kindle, which means no more trees will die because of your obsession. For me, this was a huge, huge perk to investing in a Kindle.
Secondly, the Kindle stores 200 books. This means if you’re interested in micro home living, or simply saving space in general, you don’t have to worry about not having anything to read because there’s no room for your library. All you need is your Kindle. Also, it’s important to realize that the Kindle stores 200 at a time. You can actually have more stored in your Amazon account or on your laptop. You can take them off or put them on your Kindle at any time.
Thirdly, depending on your reading habits, a Kindle can be surprisingly frugal.
I know, I can see your eyes popping from here. Yes, the Kindle is $359. And in today’s economy, I know that’s a steep price tag. But if you love reading older books, like the classics, then you can get some great bargains. Over the long term, a Kindle will probably pay for itself.
To prove my point, here are my last five purchases that I’ve made on my Kindle:
- Les Miserables- Victor Hugo $.99
- The Awakening- Kate Chopin $3.96
- Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte $.99
- The Secret Garden- Francis Hodgson Burnett $1.50
- The Princess Bride- William Goldman $6.40
Almost all the books available on Kindle, even the new releases, are less than $10. And the classics, as you can see, are often less than $2.
Reading the classics is what I love best, so for me I’m saving money buying them through my Kindle. And unless Stephanie Meyer comes out with a part 5 to add to my current Edward Cullen, “Twilight” obsession, I won’t be buying many, if any, brand new books.
Note to Stephanie Meyer: Please oh please come out with a Part 5…
Green Your Reads With Free E-Books
Think you can’t get something for nothing anymore? Think again. There are several ways you can get free books online, if you know where to look.
My favorite is Project Gutenburg. They’ve got over 27,000 titles online, free for the download. Here’s my master list of free book download sites:
Last Word
Books are completely wonderful. After all, where else can you spend one day living the life of a 12-year old girl growing up on the streets of Brooklyn in 1912, and then the next day experience the life of a peasant in post-revolution France?
Books allow us all to see the world from other people’s shoes. They help us develop empathy and compassion, and take us to places we’d never get to see otherwise. They open up the world, and all the mysteries it has to offer.
It is possible to love books, and read them voraciously, without harming the environment at the same time. I don’t know where the future of books is heading, but if I had my guess I’d put my bets on digital formatting. It makes sense in every way; it’s cheaper, takes up far less space, and doesn’t use resources to produce.
The downside? Digital formatted ebooks lack the romance that a traditional paper book holds. I know all too well the distinct pleasure of curling up with a hefty book and a soft blanket. It’s a luxury I’ll never be able to fully give up.
The Kindle comes close to recreating that intimacy between reader and book. I still feel “connected” through my Kindle, a connection that is completely lacking when I read a book on my laptop. But, that’s just me.
I hope the resources I’ve put out here at least give you some options for greening up your reading habit. After all, one less book bought by thousands of people really adds up!
A great post brought to you by Heather Levin, TheGreenestDollar.com
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