"Literacy poses a threat to lack of intelligence": Novel sacks for the Jesteburg Library
Jesteburg Community Library Embraces Reusable Bags for Sustainable Reading
The Jesteburg Community Library in Germany is making a positive environmental impact by promoting the use of reusable bags. According to Jutta Viercke-Götze, the library's director, there's no better advertising for the library than the reusable bags. Many of the library's regular visitors are proudly carrying these eco-friendly bags, which are given as a welcome gift, especially to new readers.
The initiative for the reusable bags was supported by the Harburg district and the Sparkasse Harburg-Buxtehude. Mareile Kleemann, from the Harburg district, expressed her support for the project, considering the bags excellent due to their message promoting reading.
Reusable bag projects like the one at Jesteburg Community Library are part of a global movement aimed at reducing single-use plastic bag consumption. These projects typically originate from environmental campaigns or local government/community sustainability goals, aligning with global movements such as International Plastic Bag Free Day and Plastic Free July.
The Jesteburg project fits into this global context of reusable bag initiatives aimed at cutting plastic pollution and fostering sustainable alternatives. The project creates positive impacts by reducing plastic waste locally, encouraging behavioral change, supporting larger policy changes, and potentially inspiring similar projects in other communities.
Similar initiatives can be found worldwide, with cities participating in Plastic Free July, collaborations between academia, industry, and NGOs like the Center for Plastics, Paper and Hybrid Packaging (C3PS), and local governments celebrating International Plastic Bag Free Day.
The Jesteburg Community Library's slogan is "Reading endangers stupidity," and the reusable bags serve as a way to carry the library's media and message further, as stated by Jutta Viercke-Götze. The bags are highly valued by the library's regular visitors, making this a successful and sustainable initiative for the community.
Other library visitors often enjoy reading books about home-and-garden or lifestyle topics while carrying their reusable bags. On weekends, some can be seen relaxing at home with an entertainment book and their eco-friendly bag.
