Wob | World of books
Wob, World of books, is an online second-hand bookstore that sells books, vinyl records, CDs, video games and books to over 190 countries worldwide. They are a certified B corporation and aim to be carbon neutral for 2022. As a company, they have donated over 100,000 books to schools, good causes and literacy programmes in the UK and internationally, while partnering with charities such as Own Books and Books to Africa.
“We use the power of the circular economy to make affordable books and literature available to all.”
Their Story
“It all began when a group of book-loving entrepreneurs noticed a bag of books in a charity shop bin destined for a landfill. Our founders rescued them on the spot determined to give them a second life.”
Good for the planet
“We don’t believe a book should be read once, or have a single owner. This underpins everything we do. We share the love of reading by finding books new homes so their stories can live on and be enjoyed by more people – or turn old books into something new by responsibly recycling them. This is the magic of the circular economy.”
- Wob uses carbon reporting to monitor their usage of water and energy, as well as their greenhouse gas emissions and waste. By using this process, they intend on becoming carbon neutral by 2022.
- Last year, they recycled 61.7 million books, half a million trees, to be made into new products if they weren’t up to their selling standards.
- Their packing is made up of 30% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.
- Through buying second-hand at Wob, 26,563 tonnes of new paper was saved.
- They source all their electricity from 100% renewable sources, introduced electric buses for their workers and use warehouse vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries that are rechargeable.
A certified B corporation
B Corps believe in using business as a force for good in the world. They use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities and the environment, with Wob the 229th B Corp in the UK.
Wob’s business model is designed to be circular and sustainable, with its badge of being a B corp committing them to consider their impact on stakeholders now and in the future.
To read about what actions they took to reduce their environmental impacts, they’ve made downloadable PDFs for 2019/2020 and 2018/2019.
