We love to network with others and achieve the greatest possible impact together. Our latest cooperation is a good example of this - and of course we don't want to withhold this great collaboration from you.
More than fantasy: Katja Brandis fights for environmental protection
Katja Brandis , well-known bestselling author of the fantasy book series Woodwalkers and Seawalkers , has made environmental protection a matter close to her heart.
The author repeatedly incorporates the topic into her books and events. During her writing process for Seawalkers and her diving, she has come into close contact with the pollution of the oceans. Of course, she also came across the global problem of ghost nets.
“Ghost nets”, nets lost or abandoned by fishing boats, drift in the oceans and become a danger to marine life. A ghost net for the protagonist, tiger shark Tiago, is also found in her book series Seawalkers almost a deadly trap.
While researching the topic of “ghost networks”, Katja Brandis quickly came across Bracenet. Two emails and a phone call later and Katja Brandis, the Arena Verlag and we are connected and ready to really make a difference!
Bestselling author Katja Brandis with our Adriatic Sea Bracenet
Sustainable production of a bestseller
In Germany alone, almost a billion books are produced every year. A large proportion of these are currently printed on virgin fiber paper (paper with no recycled content) and finished with UV varnish and special inks. In addition, paper production requires large amounts of water and chemicals. All of this has consequences for our environment.
For this reason, the topic of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the publishing industry. Fortunately, Arena Verlag has been actively tackling the issue for years. It only prints on FSC -certified paper, which means that only wood from responsible forestry is used.
It was clear to us that with our expertise and our commitment to conserving our resources sustainably, we had found great cooperation partners in Katja Brandis and Arena Verlag.
This is how, on the initiative of Katja Brandis, a real heartfelt project was created for all those involved. Our extensive cooperation has led to Arena Verlag taking its first steps towards " Blue Angel" production (after “Schneetänzer” and “You for Future”) now also to the cooperation title “Seawalkers. Wilde Wellen” by Katja Brandis and in a second step even to all of the author’s titles. For the current issue of Volume 3 of “Seawalkers. Wild waves” This means a saving in CO2 emissions of 27% compared to conventional production.
The complete conversion of all Katja Brandis titles also achieves the following savings:
- 39,123 kg of CO2, which corresponds to the emissions of 4 people in Germany over one year each = 19,913,607 liters of volume, that's enough to fit into 7.8 million balloons!
- 3,480,415 liters of water
- 347,247 kg of wood
Really cool and at the same time hard to imagine what such a seemingly small change can achieve, right?
In addition, the Seawalker story raises awareness of the ghost net problem. To further sensitize the readership to the issue, The new Seawalkers book with former ghost nets is presented in the windows of over 50 bookstores . The nets then come back to our factory, where we process them into bracenets and other products.
8 Questions for Katja Brandis
We had the opportunity to interview Katja Brandis personally.
How do you know BRACENET?
Katja Brandis: When I was researching ghost nets for Seawalkers Volume 2, I came across Bracenet and immediately thought the idea was great. I immediately bought a few bracelets and mentioned the project in the afterword of the novel.
How did your readers react to the topic of ghost nets in the novel?
Katja Brandis: It is a life-threatening situation when Tiago, in his form as a tiger shark, gets caught in an old fishing net underwater and almost dies. It is an exciting scene at first, but it got some kids thinking and some have already written to me saying that they want to help remove ghost nets from the sea.
What do you associate with the sea?
Katja Brandis: The sea is a place of longing for me, I miss it when I am not there. When I swim or dive in it, I hardly want to get out and I can never get enough of the sunbeams playing through the clear blue. I am probably also a sea creature in my second form, like my novel characters. I also find the diverse life in the oceans incredibly fascinating.
Your favorite sea creature?
Katja Brandis: Very different. I really like dolphins, I'm fascinated by sharks and I'm particularly happy when I come across parrotfish (extremely cute) or octopuses (you can tell they're intelligent!) while snorkeling or diving.
Your top 3 tips to make everyday life more sustainable?
Katja Brandis: Drive and fly less - if you protect the climate, you also protect the oceans. When you go shopping, make sure that as little single-use plastic as possible ends up in your basket. And generally, don't take yourself and your own wishes so seriously and consider what it means for the planet before you do or buy something.
What have you personally changed in recent years to protect the environment?
Katja Brandis: I actually love traveling, but our family now limits itself to one flight a year (for long trips and when there is no other way). We make all other trips by bike, car or train. I always shop with a cloth bag and backpack and make sure to buy products in returnable containers, glass, metal or paper packaging. A high recycling rate also increases the chance that I will choose the product. I put fruit and vegetables in bags and nets that I bring with me or buy them loose. If a product is not available in environmentally friendly packaging, I get annoyed and think: “I can actually live just fine without this stuff, it can stay in the shop for all I care!”
Your favorite bracelet?
Katja Brandis: The light blue “North Sea” , I find that particularly pretty, I wear it at my Seawalkers readings!
With your book “Seawalkers 3” we were able to achieve a lot together on the topic of sustainability. What exactly was that and how did you implement it?
Katja Brandis: I think it's great that we are working together to protect the oceans and to make young people aware of the dangers the ocean faces, for example from plastic waste or ghost nets, and what they can do about it. That is the goal of our campaigns and I am sure my readers will be happy to join in!
Many thanks to Katja Brandis and Arena Verlag! We look forward to everything our collaboration will bring.