Recycling for the Bookworm
Going green makes many Canadians think of over-priced veggies, unaffordable hybrid cars, and expensive organic remedies. For Brian Egan, going green is the elixir of life—and even business. But does it pay to be green? Or must consumers reconcile their green desire with an empty wallet?
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More and more people on Vancouver Island are noticing sustainability and environmental issues. Some are even making it their business to live greener lives, one vegetable garden or cold-wash laundry load at a time. Brian Egan, 52, knows that even the smallest measures can have profound impacts. For him, green values,energy efficiency, and waste reduction, are just business as usual. Egan has been in the business of recycling for over ten years. He is the founder of a green e-business called the Book Box Company Inc., which specializes in recycling old books. Egan’s company hollows them out and turns them into secret storage books. “Not only do we save discarded books from a long death in the landfill, turning them into functional gifts, but we also choose to do it despite it not being very lucrative,” says Egan. Egan’s operation in rural Black Creek, BC is the pinnacle of low-impact, family-run businesses. The company’s studio is a converted barn from which nothing is discarded that can be recycled and nothing is thrown away that can be reused. “Ours is a product with purpose,” says Egan. “And so too is our company. Everything we do, from production to distribution, reflects our commitment to social and environmental responsibility.” For years, Egan has been aware of the dangerous implications of global warming. He set about calculating the carbon footprint of his six-person company in 2000, even to the point of weighing how much garbage was generated each day. “Anyone can get started on the green path,” says Egan, “and everyone needs to. It begins with small steps that can seem trivial, like choosing biodegradable cleaners, re-using gift packaging, doing anything and everything that reduces, reuses, or recycles.” Increasing consumer environmental consciousness forces both big and small companies to make changes and attend to environmental impact. “Individuals and companies are finally coming to grips with the financial and environmental cost of waste,” says Egan. “They are feeling the pressure to be green and are reinventing themselves—or at least re-marketing.” Egan established green internal processes and practices early on in his company’s history. From going paperless to recycling and reusing, the company sees its internal processes and practices as opportunities for both environmental consciousness and savings. |
Although there is often an initial cost to going green, Egan says it’s usually less than expected. “Investing in energy-efficient light bulbs can pay off over time in lower utility bills,” says Egan, “and steps to reduce paper waste can also save money. Our recycled paper is slightly more expensive, but we’re saving so much on refillable toner cartridges that it has balanced out.” Despite its green mandate, the Book Box Company’s future is not entirely bright. “The rewards of marketing as a green company remain relatively unseen,” says Egan. “Sales of secret storage books could always be better.” It is a wonder that green giftware has yet to flourish despite the broader base of consumers who value green companies. For Egan, ease-of-access and cost are always factors in purchasing and day-to-day decisions. While a plethora of products out there claim to be green, Egan says that people are not always aware of them or willing to pay that little extra for them. “Some people are reluctant to start recycling initiatives in their home or workplace, and truly green products are not flourishing like they should be,” says Egan. But Egan is confident that the green momentum is growing. To facilitate this, Egan’s business is committed to making the eco-friendly lifestyle fun and creative instead of daunting. “Our products are unique in that they are made from real, recycled books. More than this, customers will soon be able to customize their own secret storage books.” People are becoming increasingly interested and involved in environmental issues. Garbage disposal, natural environment maintenance, and global environmental problems all have a growing place in people’s minds. While such a mantra might not always be upheld in the corporate sphere, Vancouver Island’s Book Box Company will continue abiding by its longstanding environmentally sustainable practices by choosing to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Going green hasn’t stalled the company’s success to date. For Egan, prospects include ever-increasing consumer support to help grow operations in the future—prospects that are in every sense of the word: Green. Mandy Ellis branches out from her academic background to write this article on behalf of Brian Egan. Contact the Book Box Co. at sales@SecretStorageBooks.com or at secretstoragebooks.com |
