Enjoying a good read ...

Here's an interesting fact: "The U.S. book and newspaper industries combined require the harvest of 125 million trees each year and emit over 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually; equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 7.3 million cars." from The Green Press Initiative.

On these cold winter days, there's nothing better than curling up with a good book ... losing one's self in a story or learning something new. The feel of a book ... the smell of the pages ... it is, for many of us, a link to our earliest memories. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of paper and resources to go from an idea in an author's mind to a book in our hands. Yes, we can now read books online or buy reading devices but, for many of us, there is nothing better than holding a book.

Here are a few ideas to minimize the environmental impact of books:

• Use the library. If you haven't been to a library for some time, you might be surprised. Today's libraries are user-friendly, organizing isles by subject and interest.
  
  
• Consider buying a "used" book. If owning a book is more appealing than "renting" one from a library, check out used book stores. Prices are typically lower and many stores offer cash for your trade-ins and/or points towards other books.
  
  
• Check out thrift stores. Many people buy a book, read it once, and then donate it ... so "almost new" editions can be found.
  
  
• Consider trading books. There are now many online sites dedicated to book swapping. Check out these sites (graciously provided by our bloggy friend Brian, at Eazy Cheezy):
  
  

Bookins
Book Mooch
Swap Tree
Title Trader
Zunafish
Paperback Swap

• Create your own swap club with friends and family ... once a book has been enjoyed, pass it on.

Living "green" is often a matter of balance. A book, by it's very nature, is less than environmentally friendly but ... by adopting these ideas we can minimize our impact ... all while enjoying a good read.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

A quick Monday tip ...

Yesterday we visited the recycling center. As I was tossing items into the "Mixed Paper" bin I noticed magazines ... lots of magazines ... magazines in great shape ... magazines on fitness, the home and cars. And I thought ... even though they are being recycled, what a waste that they were being taken out of circulation when they are in such good condition.

So, today's tip is quick and easy:

If you buy magazines (or books for that matter), pass them on to another before sending them to the recycle bin. And ask the lucky recipient to do the same.

Easy, right?

Yes, reading magazines and books online is more Eco-friendly than buying them but ... sometimes there's nothing better than settling in with a good "read" and relaxing.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Wrap it up ...

The U.S. Postal Services recommends that packages be sent out no later than December 15th to ensure that all those green gifts (you did go green, right?) reach their destination on time. Even if your packages are staying local, you'll probably be thinking about wrapping soon. So here are a few tips on boxing, wrapping, and sending those packages in a earth friendly way:

Boxing

• Many gifts don't need to be boxed at all. Things like books, games, tool boxes, etc., can be wrapped as is.
• Make the box part of the gift ... for example, a tin bucket makes a great container for garden tools. Giving kitchen items? Wrap them up in a roasting pan.
• Use cereal, pasta or salt boxes ... just give them a good shake to clean them out.
  
• Check under your bed ... I'll bet there are some previously used boxes from years past under there.
• Check with shoe stores ... many of their containers get recycled or tossed out.
  
• Need to add some packing inside the box? Rather than use those Styrofoam "nuts", which are totally bad for the environment, try using popcorn (popped, hold the salt and butter), peanuts in the shell, or hard candy (wrapped). Recycled paper also makes a great filler ... as do rolled up t-shirts or socks.
  

Wrapping

• Got maps lying around? They make great, colorful wrapping paper ... and if care is taken, they can be folded up and used as ... well ... maps. Here's a fun idea ... use a bright pen to "map" out some fun places for your recipient to visit.
• Make the wrapping part of the gift. Dish towels work beautifully ... as do colorful scarfs. Ties can be used to "tie" up the package instead of a ribbon. For kids gifts try cute T-shirts, shocks or knitted hats.
  
• Use leftover wallpaper or drawer liner.
• Instead of a bow, how about a compact fluorescent light bulb. Now there's a bright idea.
• Speaking of bows, look out your window for package decorations ... a sprig of holly, a cluster of pine cones or a display of winter flowers. Your yard may be a treasure trove of beautiful ornaments.
  
• Check the library (they sometimes toss out or give away items), thrift stores and Good Will for books and magazines. Look for ones with colorful pages and interesting patterns ... and use them as wrapping.
  
• Do you get catalogs or holiday fliers? Look closely ... they may be the perfect holiday paper.
  
• If your house is like mine, you have a few pillow cases around that seem to have lost their mates. And who wants to put mismatched pillow cases on their bed (oh how gauche). Use these as gift bags ... and if they are a little too big ... trim them down.
• Need gifts tags? Cut them out from the Christmas cards you received last year. Another idea ... use old photos and write on the back of them ... not only will you be reusing an item which has probably been sitting in a drawer, you'll be passing on wonderful memories.

Sending

• FGX is a shipping company which is undertaking a year-long effort to make its operations greener. And that's not all ... they promise to get your packages to their destinations in a faster, cheaper and greener way. Check them out at http://www.fgxusa.com/ .
• Plan ahead ... I've read that using ground transportation is more environmentally friendly than using overnight services. It's a lot cheaper, too!
• If you're giving gifts to friends and family close by ... hand deliver them. Who knows ... maybe you'll get a hot cup of cider or mulled wine for your efforts.

And finally, these ideas:

• Keep any boxes you receive for future use.
• If you use ribbon, regardless of the package size, measure out enough to wrap around an average box ... perhaps a shirt or sweater size box. That way, your recipient can save it and use it again.
• Carefully remove paper ... and reuse it.

"Wrap it up" green and it'll be a very bright Christmas!

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Check this out ...

If you have a moment, click over to Tomus Arcanum and check out these two posts:

English Course Goes Green

It's all rubbish really

Both of these posts deal with the author's "green" efforts and show that living green doesn't have to be time consuming or costly. Thanks to Argentum Vulgaris for showing us how easy it can be.

The perfect read ...

Reusing and recycling are two "basics" of living a green life. Did you miss my posts on these subjects? If you'd like to read them, click on the following: Reuse Recycle

The following article on repairing books is brilliant. Maybe you have a dear book that is getting tattered and you're thinking of tossing it in the recycle bin. Perhaps that beloved classic needs a face lift so that your children will have many pleasant hours reading it. Imagine giving books a new life and then giving them to libraries, thrift stores or the next door neighbor. And who wouldn't adore a collection of a loved one's favorite books ... all fixed up and given as a gift? With a little work, books can be repaired and ... in nothing flat ... be back on the shelf. So check those closets, basements, and attics for boxes of old books and ... fix them up. This is reusing and recycling at it's finest!

How to Repair a Paperback Book

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Do you have a trade paperback that has fallen on hard times? Loose pages? Cover come loose from the pages? Here's how to resurrect that book for a few more years of good reading.

Steps

Missing One or Two Pages

1. Open the book to the place where the pages belong.
   
2. Place a thin bead of glue along the crack of the spine.
   
3. Carefully place the page(s) back into place, taking care to align the edges of the page with the edges of adjacent pages. To prevent glue "ooze" from making the book hard to open, place a strip of waxed paper on each side of the glued section, at the glued edge.
   
4. Close the book.
   
5. Wipe away any excess glue.
   
6. Place the book under several heavier books to press it while it dries.
   
7. Wait 3 or more hours for the glue to dry before opening the book.
   

Entire Cover Separated From the Pages

1. Open the cover and lay it on a flat surface.
   
2. Use plastic glue[1] to wet the spine area.
   
3. Carefully place the page spine edge into the glue.
   
4. Close the covers.
   
5. Wipe away any excess glue that squeezes out the end of the spine.
   
6. Rubber band the cover to the book and press it under several heavier books to hold it while the glue dries.
   
7. Leave the book for at least 3 hours to allow it to dry. Overnight is best.
   

One Cover Torn Off

1. Use tape[1] to re-attach the cover.
   
2. Place the tape parallel to the spine so that half of the tape sticks to the first page of the book.
   
3. Bend and fold the tape back on itself.
   
4. Carefully align the cover to the spine edge.
   
5. Press it onto the sticky half of the tape.
   
6. Follow the instructions in Cover a Paperback Book With Clear Plastic Film to reinforce the spine.
   
   • Alternatively, you could cover the spine edge with heavy duty clear tape. Librarian book repair tape works best, but packing tape would suffice for a year or two (after a year or so, packing tape will yellow, dry out and cause more problems).
     
   
   

Cover Creased or Tattered

1. Tack down all loose flaps or tears with plastic glue.
   
2. Cover the book with plastic film once the glue has dried. Follow the instructions in Cover a Paperback Book With Clear Plastic Film or Make a Hard Cover for a Paperback Book to reinforce and/or protect the cover from further damage.
   

Tips

• Patience is a virtue... Don't hurry this! Take your time and do a careful job. Hurrying only increases the likelihood that you will end up with an unsatisfactory result.
  

• Plastic glue is not necessary to fix your fallen literary friends. Plain old Elmer's School Glue (yes, the kind you used in 1st grade) works just as well for fixing tatters and separating covers. You can purchase it for less than $1, it dries clear, and really does hold. It won't survive the apocalypse but your book will be secure enough to read (and will look better too!).
  

Things You Will Need

• Helpful supplies to have on hand.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Cover a Paperback Book With Clear Plastic Film
  
• How to Repair a Book's Binding
  
• How to Make a Hard Cover for a Paperback Book
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Plastic Glue and Book Repair tape are available from Library Supply companies such as Brodart and DEMCO.

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Repair a Paperback Book. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

There now ... wasn't that just the perfect read?

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

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