The wrap and pellets are made from cellulose and are biodegradable which means that they will rot down on contact with earth. The price is actually a little bit less than for regular bubble wrapping.
We have been eco-friendly for some time and it is about testing different products until we get it right. We think we are 99% ‘green’ but it is the final parts, such as moving from plastic tape and adhesive to an alternative, that we are now focused on. We use paper tape on small packets but are still having problems sourcing a suitable tape for large overseas parcels.
Of course, finding the right solution is fraught with difficulties to find something that is truly ‘green’.
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA) is very keen to explore solutions so we can source suppliers for all our members and the wider trade. The association is planning to provide a stand at Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair in Battersea in June that will be devoted to environmentally friendly packaging.
I am also planning to take this to the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) Congress in Amsterdam in September next year.
Adrian Harrington
Adrian Harrington Rare Books, Tunbridge Wells
Adrian is a past president of ABA and ILAB. ABA president Roger Treglown added: “This issue is one I feel very strongly about and am proud to be pushing forward. I raised it with colleagues from around the world at the presidents’ meeting of ILAB in Tbilisi in September.
“There was a very positive response, and I expect to see the international community of booksellers moving together on this. I have high hopes for ABA’s own working group, which will be researching and reporting back on the best available products, which we then hope to promote at our flagship book fair, Firsts, in June next year.”
