This month sees the UK launch of Bookswap – an innovative award-winning start up from Estonia – a new, more sustainable way, to enjoy reading.
This first to the market web-based business enables book lovers to swap their no longer wanted books with other users simply and quickly.
Four billion trees are cut down globally each year for paper whilst there are over 50 billion* used books in homes across Europe, many getting dusty on shelves and cluttering up homes.
However, there is a new, more sustainable and cost-effective way of enjoying reading without creating more copies of existing books and it’s launching this month.
Founder Peeter Kruusvall explains: “We all have tons of books in our homes. In fact, there are an estimated over 4 billion used books in homes across the UK – a gigantic library. We’re thrilled to be launching in the UK and we’re inviting book lovers to join our community and share their books.
“It’s easy, once you have read and enjoyed a book, upload it to the website and when someone chooses your book, you get a credit to choose a book you wish to have. This way of sharing books is fun, it’s cheap and it’s good for the environment.”
With over 180,000 books already swapped in Estonia – since launching in 2016 – the team behind Bookswap is confident that book loving and eco-conscious people here in the UK will be quick to adopt this new way of enjoying books.
Peeter added: “Swapping books, rather than buying new ones frees up space on bookshelves, is cost effective and is of course a more sustainable approach as you are giving your books a second life.
“Research shows that re-using books is the most effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of the publishing industry. If every British reader opts to swap just one book a year in lieu of buying, an impressive 43 thousand tons of carbon dioxide would be contained. Bookswap caters to the emerging shift in the society towards new ways of knowledgeable and responsible consumerism, providing a more sustainable and cost-effective way of enjoying reading without creating more copies of existing books.
“With over 180,000 books already swapped in Estonia, the Bookswap team is confident that book-loving and eco-conscious people here in the UK will be quick to adopt this new way of enjoying books.”
