Better World Books is one of the most exciting, innovative and socially responsible initiatives in the book industry. And now they also get a formal recognition for their outstanding achievements by no other than the EPA!
Yesterday, The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Better World Books for its accomplishments in waste reduction and recycling by awarding the company with its 2009 WasteWise Gold Award in a ceremony that was held in Arlington, VA.
To those of you who are not familiar with their work, Better World Books collects and sells new and used books online, donating a portion of each sale to help literacy initiatives worldwide. Books that cannot be re-sold or re-used are recycled. When it comes to waste reduction, the company has successfully diverted more than 32 million books from landfills. In the process, it has also raised $7.6 million in funding for literacy and education initiatives worldwide through the sale of those books. 
Photo: Better World Books' warehouse. Credit: Better World Books
On their press release announcing the award, Better World Books CEO David Murphy explained that "Every year, almost a million tons of books are thrown away. We’re proud of our company’s accomplishments reducing that tremendous and unnecessary waste. By moving discarded books out of landfills and back into the reading cycle, we’re not only helping the environment, but also raising money for good causes and promoting literacy. We are honored to be recognized by the EPA and to receive this WasteWise Gold award.”
Kudos to Better World Books for their award! We hope this recognition of their achievements will inspire others to follow suit and find sustainable win-win solutions in the book industry.
Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!
