Environment

The paper we use comes from sustainably managed forests and from recycling.

Our Commitment to the Environment

At Rapido Books, we love the environment as much as we love books. Our printing solution limits the use of renewable resources (paper and hydroelectric energy) as well as non-renewable resources (ink and transport fuel), and we only use paper from sustainably managed forests and recycling. But we want to do more.

Did you know that paper can only be recycled maximum five times? We need to permanently reintroduce “new” paper paste that aids the recycling process. This paste is essential to our planet’s future for two reasons:

The consumption of wood for paper production helps spread the surface of forests and therefore to absorb more carbon dioxide;
Young trees, not old ones, produce oxygen. Old forests only consume it. Cutting down old trees and planting new ones is thus critical to the future of our planet.

The average lifespan of an e-reader is 4 to 5 years at most, and recycling it is a complicated and problematic procedure, since only 10% of electronic devices are actually recycled. An e-reader’s true environmental impact is roughly equivalent to several hundred books. It’s often touted that digital books save forests, but bear in mind that a single reading light on an eReading device has the same environmental impact as purchasing 60 paper books. Even worse, a reading light only lasts about four to five years, and is unlikely to be recycled (only 10% of electronic devices are). Suddenly, reading an ebook doesn’t sound so “green”, does it?

Forget selling books to people who don’t need them, or producing books that don’t sell. Let’s listen to readers. By giving them only what they want, we also take from the planet only what we need. Mother Earth is counting on us, and it’s time to be accountable and do our share.

Only print and ship what you sell.

At Rapido Books, we believe the solution isn’t fewer published titles, but fewer – and better quality – paper copies.