As the country prepares to wind down for its summer break Ethical Consumer today calls on holidaymakers to demonstrate their opposition to tax avoidance by not buying their holiday books from tax avoiding bookshops.
Many of the UK's leading bookshops both on the High Street and online have been identified by Ethical Consumer as being implicated in tax avoidance most notably Amazon.
Other tax avoiding companies include Alibris, Google Play and Kobo.
Ethical Consumer researcher Tim Hunt said: “This summer we're asking holidaymakers not to support tax avoiding booksellers. Instead sun-lovers can buy their favourite summer reading from the many companies who are supporting the British economy by paying their fair share of tax.”
Ethical Consumer recommends the following book-selling alternatives to tax avoiders:
Online
Better World Books: www.betterworldbooks.co.uk
Green Metroplis: www.greenmetropolis.com
Oxfam Books: www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/books
On the High Street
Any independent bookshop. For details visit:
www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/buyingbookswithoutamazon/radicalbookshopsdirectory.aspx
Foyles & John Smiths
Second-hand bookshops such as Oxfam
Alternatives to tax avoiders for people who already have an e-reader:
Use free sites such Project Gutenberg: www.gutenberg.org and Feedbooks: www.feedbooks.com
Or buy from www.ebooks.com or www.booksetc.co.uk
E-readers also come under the ethical spotlight with Ethical Consumer unable to find any ethical or environmental argument in their favour.
Ethical Consumer researcher Tim Hunt said: “E-readers such as Amazon's Kindle may be a top-selling piece of cutting-edge technology but they've yet to prove their environmental credentials.”
“You might think that one piece of hardware which contains a hundred books is an environmentally low impact option but this is yet to be proven. For us the greenest option is a book, preferably one that's reused.”
The product guide to bookshops and e-readers is available here: www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/buyingbookswithoutamazon.aspx
Ethical Consumer is currently running a boycott of Amazon.
For details visit: www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycottamazon.aspx
Launched in 1989 Ethical Consumer is the UK's leading ethical and environmental magazine. In each issue Ethical Consumer examines the ethical and environmental record of the companies behind everyday products and services from bread to banks. For more information visit the Ethical Consumer website: www.ethicalconsumer.org
Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.
