RecycLivre – the online second-hand book shop
RecycLivre.com is a website selling second-hand books which aims to establish a relationship based on solidarity between its customers and underprivileged groups. It is built around the idea of promoting the recirculation of books instead of them being thrown away by their owners.
It therefore organises the collection of books in French towns and Madrid in Spain, alongside collection points in other parts of the country. The books are then put up for sale on the internet at very reasonable prices. 10% of the proceeds go to institutions fighting illiteracy. With this good practice, RecycLivre promotes the re-use of books, while reducing CO2 emissions.
Furthermore, the initiative aims to offset all of its own carbon emissions by financing other CO2 reduction projects. Lastly, since 2010, only electric vehicles have been used to collect books.
RecycLivre:
- as of November 2020, had given nearly EUR 2 260 000 to charities;
- has saved 43 481 trees by promoting the re-use of books;
- has avoided 2 215 825 kg of CO2 emissions on the basis that the re-circulation of a used book equals 432 g of CO2 less released into the atmosphere.