What's the 'triple bottom line'? Sounds like management speak, doesn't it? Like 'blue-sky thinking' and 'touching base'. Dull, dull, dull. But actually, the triple bottom line is pretty simple and powerful: it's people, planet, profit. And Better World Books is all about it.

For us, the triple bottom line comes in lots of forms. From helping to build a nursing library in Somaliland, to salvaging books from landfill, to contributing a portion of every sale to literacy initiatives, doing good is not just a part of Better World Books' business - it is the business.

We're also founding B-Corporation, helping create a growing international network of businesses dedicated to setting a new standard for social and environmental performance. To become a B-Corporation we passed the B Impact Ratings System, and we altered our corporate by-laws, committing to serve all of our stakeholders - employees, consumers, the community, and the environment. You can see our B Impact assessment here.

Power to the people

We use our skills in bookselling to make money for organisations like the National Literacy Trust, READ International, and the National Adult Literacy Agency which they use to help promote literacy initiatives, so that everyone can enjoy the pleasures of reading and books.

Our literacy partners provide the building blocks for children and families to learn, grow, and share in the vast collection of human knowledge committed to paper. Doesn't it make sense that a bookseller should generate funding for these programs? Yep. And we do it with every book we sell.

Loving the planet

If we could, we'd have every book wrapped in delicious, edible paper and handed to its new owner by the green fingers of Alan Titchmarsh (and he'd be riding on a lovely soft, white cloud). But until we get that sorted (we're working on it), we aim to be the world's most environmentally conscious bookseller.

We're committed to keeping books out of landfill. Waste to landfill is becoming a real problem for the UK, so the more we can reduce, reuse and recycle, the better! Besides, the thought of so many wonderful books ending up in a stinking hole in the ground is enough to make any booklover shudder. When we absolutely cannot find new homes for orphan books (and we try mighty hard), we make sure they're recycled properly - so far we've reused or recycled 26,000 tonnes of books.

In addition, Better World Books now offers carbon balanced delivery! We worked with Sustainable Business Consulting and followed the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Protocol to develop the methodology used to calculate our carbon inventory. We then partnered with Carbon Footprint, a leading carbon management company who verifies our carbon offsets and provides us a way to balance out these emissions. For every tonne of carbon emissions we produce, one native British broad-leaved tree will be planted in Scotland through Tree Appeal. All it takes is a few pence at the checkout from our brilliant customers to offset an order's delivery.

Better World Books Planet Loving Partnerships

	Better World Books is an official partner of the EAUC. The EAUC is the sustainability champion for universities and colleges in the UK. The EAUC works closely in partnership with strategic partners, as well as with National and Local Government, Funding Councils and Regulators. The EAUC plays a prominent role in the development of policy and strategy within the sector.
	Green Business Network is a Scotland wide community of businesses, academics and graduates who are committed to improving and demonstrating their green credentials, whilst working together towards a low-carbon economy.

Profit for everyone

With the help of our customers and non-profit partners, we're good at what we do because we understand the importance of running a profitable enterprise. But while most businesses answer only to their shareholders, we answer equally to all of our key stakeholders: our employees, our customers, our literacy partners, our investors and, crucially, the environment.

By accounting for and supporting the long-term viability of those who have a stake in our success, profit takes on a much broader and richer meaning.

When you shop with or donate books to Better World Books, you're playing a part in creating a better world.