Swaptree and Save a Tree
Free Books, Fewer Resources
If you are anything like me, then you keep most of the books that you have read up to this point and have either shelved them (where most of mine have landed), lent or gave them away to friends, or tried to sell them at a yard sale or to a second-hand store. I have never thrown away a book that I no longer wanted, and I’ll bet most people do not. Throwing already-been-read books away is probably not a big environmental concern as books tend to hold value for us, even after we’re done reading them-either sentimental value or an aesthetic one, as many of us like to display them in our bookcases.
What is more of an eco issue, however, are the numbers of new books that we Americans purchase on a regular basis. Libraries are great, but what if it is a new, best-seller you seek? Borrowing a book that is in great demand at your local library can take weeks, even months. And if you have a child at home who is obsessed with getting the next installment of Magic Tree House or Captain Underpants, being on a library wait-list, no matter how green it may be, just isn’t going to cut it. So I, and undoubtedly many others, find myself taking regular trips to our local bookseller to pick up a copy of our new must-have. As a regular customer of eBay, I began to wonder if there wasn’t some kind of a swap site that focuses primarily on books. One simple web search later and voila! Apparently many other folks thought this would be a good idea, too.
As I am mostly in the market for children’s chapter books, which my daughter blazes through at a lighting-fast pace, I visited many sites hoping that I would find one that offers a large selection of this particular genre. I also looked for a site that was well-organized, user-friendly, and had a lot of members, making successful swapping possible. I settled upon Swaptree.com right away. Easy to use, with an excellent design, I signed up on the spot and began listing items I was willing to swap with others. Not just books, Swaptree also welcomes swapping of video games, Cd’s and DVD’s. Within hours, I had made three trades. Our first Wii game arrived today and two books are also on their way. When you become a member of Swaptree, you can decide what you want on your wish list as well as what items you are willing to offer in trade. Every trade must be authorized by both parties, and much like eBay, members can give each other ratings to ensure that proper trading etiquette is maintained.
So how green a concept does Swaptree have on their hands? As I stated earlier, I do not think people are throwing away these items on a regular basis, but many of us do purchase new ones fairly frequently. In contrast, however, when you swap with others, rather than buying new, there is an ongoing savings of paper and plastic as well as resources. And like eBay, members of Swaptree make up their own community, where people are excited to share what they already have with others. Messages can be passed back and forth and today I received an enthusiastic “Your book is on its way. Enjoy!” As it is stated on the Swaptree website, “When you share well, you swap well.” What a great message to receive as we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day this past week.
Comments
I’ve used Swaptree and liked it, but I’m a big fan of Paperbackswap.com. Rather than having to do a 1:1 direct trade, you send out books to people to get credits that you can then spend on other books. I find it much more flexible.
This sounds like a cool website that I’ll have to check out. The site mentioned by Brenda does sound a little better though. I am not completely sold on the eco benefits of this. Sure you are reusing and cutting down on consumption of new products, but you are also polluting by shipping goods across the country. I guess you could argue that the new book or dvd would have to be shipped as well. Still I think the local salvation army or a local swap meet is a greener option.