How to Green Your Used Book Business

Green is the way to go now-a-days, but how to you green a used book business? If you are like me, much of your selling is done online. You are using electricity while selling, and fuel during the delivery process. Not to mention all of the packaging. So, how do we go about greening our business? Read on for some tips to help you do just that, in the best way that you can.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Used materials such as paper, boxes, envelopes and plastic bags.
• Re-manufactured or refillable ink cartridges, and ink if necessary.
• Paper shredder.
• Online access.

1. Packaging: Reuse whatever you can. I reuse boxes and envelopes. To do this, do not worry about getting the old mailing labels off. Make new ones and attach them to the boxes. You can also cover the stamped area with paper. You can also wrap books in paper bags.
2. Box fillers: Reuse whatever is sent your way: Newspaper balls, shredded paper and peanuts can all be reused when you need to fill space in a box that you are sending. You can also shred paper that has both sides used and use it as a box filler. You can shred all paper products, including envelopes.
3. Worried about items sitting on pallets and getting wet? This does happen. A good many books are shipped with plastic bags scrunched into balls for shipping. Use these to put the books in before packaging.
4. Printing invoices: The IRS will not care if you do this on the backs of used paper.
5. Printer ink: Use re-manufactured ink cartridges, or refill your own.
6. Invoices: Use online ones rather than paper ones, or use a receipt book and send each customer a copy. This will enable you to use far less paper and ink.

Tips & Warnings

• Sell books while you are having a yard sale.
• Do you sell crafts on your lawn? Put some books out there as well.
• Do you attend homeschool meetings/support groups? Sell there. Just put prices on them, put them in a box, and leave an envelope.
• Sell to a local used book dealer.
• Sell at a flea market.
• Email all of your homeschool friends with a price list and let them order for pick up.
• You could also send the list to a Yahoo!, or another online group that has people who live locally. They can pick up the books on their own, or you can bring them to the next meeting and accept cash.