You know that buying a used book instead of a brand-new book will save you money. But did you know that buying used books is actually beneficial for the environment? The world is becoming more recycle friendly, and a great way to support the environment is to buy used books.

One obvious way a used book is better for the environment has to do with paper. Let’s say the average textbook contains anywhere from 500-750 pages. Every time you buy that textbook brand-new instead of buying a used version, you’re effectively consuming 500-750 pieces of paper. That may not seem like much unless you consider scale. If you’re in a class with 19 other students and each one of you buys a new textbook instead of a used textbook, your class just consumed 15,000 pieces of paper.

In addition, booksellers ship books in cardboard envelopes or boxes. Cardboard is one of the most recyclable materials available, so this is one more step you’re taking to help the environment.

CO2 emissions are also a factor when buying a used book instead of a new one. According to the Green Press Initiative, the book industry in the United States releases 8.85 pounds of CO2 per book each time a new book prints and ships. If you buy a used book, the number of CO2 emissions can go much lower per book.

There will be times in which you have no choice but to buy a brand-new book. But keep in mind that used books are much friendlier to the environment. And when you use BookScouter, you can shop for used books without ever leaving your house.