Inspired by our history, dedicated to our future — we’re committed to sustainability in every chapter of our shop.

We are committed to reducing our carbon impact and collaborating with partners to create a more sustainable future. This commitment, and the actions we will take to meet it, are set out in the British Library’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy.

One part of achieving this commitment is through the sustainability policy for our shops, which applies to our main shop, bookshop, and online.

Aims

Our sustainability strategy sets out a wide range of aims, including;

• continually seek out sustainable suppliers and partners, prioritising reusable or recyclable materials in our supply chains
• continually improve areas of the operation, reducing the climate and biodiversity impacts across the whole operation

Supplier and product selection

When sourcing products for our ranges, we consider a variety of factors, which include the country of production, materials used, relevance, and cost.

We are increasing the proportion of sustainable products in our ranges, working with accredited suppliers to reduce our environmental impact. In 2025, we are undertaking a Supplier survey to understand their sustainability certifications and commitments.

Packaging and waste

We have introduced new policies and are committed to reducing non-recyclable packaging.

Our performance on reducing waste and increasing recycling is measured and reported annually through our annual report and accounts.

For online orders, where possible, our Dispatch team reuse packaging from incoming book deliveries. We use paper packing tape, and all new packing materials are made from recycled paper/card.

The majority of residual waste is cardboard and paper, which are recycled. Non-recyclables go to a combined heat and power plant.

Transport and deliveries

We aim to purchase from UK suppliers to reduce our carbon footprint. We add ‘Made in the UK’ icons to related products for easy identification.

We have consolidated sourcing core items to a trusted UK supplier with high sustainability standards, combining shipments to reduce delivery miles.

Using the Planet App from Shopify, we purchase carbon credits to offset customers’ shipping emissions

Promotion and awareness

We are rolling out icons for ‘Sustainable’, ‘Recycled materials’, and ‘Vegan’ in both onsite and online shops to enable customers to make informed decisions. 

As part of our seasonal refreshes, each year around Green Libraires Week, we will highlight sustainable products in a dedicated Online shop Collection. 

We will use our newsletter to highlight sustainable products where appropriate. 

We will roll-out icons highlighting sustainable products to point-of-sale in the main shop

Reporting 

Once a year, as part of preparing the annual trading report, we will review the sustainability credentials of the top 20 products sold by value. 

Next steps 

Reviewing how biodegradable waste is treated, e.g. card wrappers. 

Review Online products to ensure UK, sustainable, vegan, and recycled icons are up to date.