Book Vending machine for Adults now launches at the Corn Exchange
#CORNEXREADS
Historically, Vending machines have become synonymous with sweet treat, crisps, drinks and other snack options but over the years we’ve seen alternative options pop up like DVD’s, Socks and even False Eyelashes!
Elsewhere in the world you can vend much stranger items like Live Crabs (China), Caviar (America), Cheese (Switzerland) and even…. Lettuce???? (Japan).
We aren’t going too crazy here at the Corn Exchange but we are really excited to bring our own vending machine to the building and this one vends…
FREE BOOKS!
We are inviting you to come along with an old book, grab a token for the machine and…
READ. SWAP. REPEAT
Whether you need a new read for your commute, want to relax in our atrium bar with a drink and a book or maybe you want to update your bookshelves at home? Our book vending machine can be found on the Fennel Street exit and your old book can be exchanged for a token with one of our hosts.
Carry on reading to find out more and also discover how Read. Swap. Repeat. is also great for sustainability too!
We look forward to seeing you soon.
What kind of books will be in your machine?
You wont find rows and rows of the same book in the machine, we’ve stocked our machine with a great mix of ‘pre-loved’ books of all genres so every visit, you will find something different! Why not try a book you would never think of to read? If you don’t enjoy it, you can simply Read. Swap. Repeat.
What do you mean by pre-loved books?
All the books in our machine are second-hand so we can do our bit to keep a small amount of pre-loved books in circulation and help the environment too. (See below)
How much do they cost?
The books are free – well almost – all we ask is that you bring in a book of your own to swap with one from our machine. That way we can keep your pre-loved book in circulation too! Simply bring in a book to one of our hosts on duty and they will swap it for a token that can be used in the machine.
How many times can I swap a book?
As long as you have a book to swap, you can do this as many times as you like?
How many books can I swap at once?
To make sure we can keep the machine stocked, we ask that you bring in no more than 5 books at a time?
I have some used books, would you like them?
Yes please, feel free to bring your pre-loved books in to help stock our machine. If we cannot find a use for them, we will donate them to a local charity store on your behalf.
Does my book have to be in good condition?
Yes please, all we ask is that your book which you bring in to swap is in the type of condition that you would be happy to receive and is an adult book of any genre. If we feel it is not appropriate for the machine, we will donate it.
BOOKS AND SUSTAINABILITY – Information from Hand Me Down Book Club.
The environmental cost of producing books is huge. The newspaper and book publishing industries consume 153 billion gallons of water each year, with each book consuming an average of two kilowatt hours of fossil fuels and approximately 7.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide. What’s worse, if a book reaches the landfill, its decomposition generates double the global warming emissions and toxic impacts on local water systems as its manufactured.
Combining this with an estimated 320 million (640,000 tonnes) being sent to the landfill each and every year, a bleak picture is painted of the environmental impact of buying new books.
So, as book lovers, what can we do to help?
There are multiple options. E-readers have exploded in popularity in the last few years, with production of an e-reader equating to somewhere around 40-50 new print books. This means that, if a reader was to read in excess of this figure, their carbon footprint could be less using an e-reader compared to buying new physical copies of the same titles.
But what about the books currently in circulation?
E-readers are terrible news for the trillions of books currently in circulation. If, hypothetically, every reader was to move over to an e-reader exclusively, the surplus of supply to demand for physical books would result in colossal wastage and huge negative environmental impact. Adding this to the carbon footprint of producing the e-reader in the first place, it becomes clear that e-readers are perhaps not the most environmentally beneficial solution.
Buying Used Books
Fortunately, there is a solution: used books.
Opting for a used books over a new book results in less than one fifth of the carbon emissions. By buying used, you are making a choice which is actively preventing the same books going to landfill, ergo avoiding the colossal environmental impact as described above. These books still have great stories to tell, and whilst we are unable to undo the emissions from their initial production, we can ensure a carbon neutral future by keeping them from needlessly going to waste.
There is also the added benefit of used books being far more affordable than buying new. With a new book costing on average £7.48 in the UK, substantial savings can be found by opting for the used equivalent. So, not only is buying used much better for the environment, but it is also far better for your wallet too!
All in all, buying used books is a sustainable method of consumption. And whilst the titles are often not pristine, there is certainly something of a romanticism in knowing that the book you’re holding has been thoroughly enjoyed by those before you, and will hopefully be enjoyed by whoever you pass it to next.
The Hand Me Down Book Club is an online book subscription company who have the following mission:
“When we discovered that millions of books aren’t recycled each year because of the glue that they are bound with, we had to do something about it.
Hand Me Down Book Club has been established to prevent books being sent to landfill whilst they still have great stories to tell.
Each month, we source and redistribute thousands of pre-loved fiction books, hand selecting the perfect book box, and delivering them to you. You’ll receive a surprise selection of books from authors and titles that you may not have chosen yourself.
A win for you, a win for the environment, and a win for books!”
Terms and conditions of use: The Corn Exchange book vending machine is free to use along with the following terms. Books will only be vended from the machine when using a Corn Exchange token which can be collected from one of the team members on site. Tokens will be allocated in exchange for another book and in no other circumstances. Corn Exchange Hosts do not have the authority to bypass these terms and conditions. Managers decision is final. If you experience any issues with the machine on site, please speak to one of our hosts.
