Nature's Market - Books

Books are wonderful, whether they are used for amusement or for understanding the world in which we live. The cultural status of countries is often evaluated based on literacy and proficiency in reading. Icelanders are a nation of culture and traditionally highly value reading. This results in the purchase of numerous books that unfortunately often end up as unhappy inhabitants of dusty bookcases for years or decades. How about liberating the books from the bookshelves? When you have finished reading a particular book, how about writing your name on the first page and then leaving the book in a public place, like on the bus or a café so others can enjoy it. The book will be read again and again to the enjoyment of many. It is also possible to sell used books. From an environmental point of view, less paper being used to print a few books that many read instead of many books that only few ever read is a better option. Books furthermore require lots of paper and that means lots of trees. But the paper used in books is nothing compared to all the newspapers that are consumed and thrown away the next day. Paper breaks down and disintegrates after many years. Recycled paper is used for more robust paper products such as toilet paper. The acidity of paper is one of the measures about which environmental labelling is concerned. The ‘Nordic Swan’, the eco-label of the Nordic Council of Ministers, encompasses both the production process and the environmental impact of the paper itself.