Are eReaders Really Green?

[Harry_Y]

I never really viewed an eReader as "Green", merely convenient.

I would tend to think Plastic. the chemicles in the batteries etc,
plus the need to recharge them (using electricity) compared to
a renewable resource such as wood would not make them so green.

Then when you need to dispose of them a book can be burnt
in a fireplace, or even just buried in a landfill would not be
as bad as the elements in an e-reader.

Also in our society many want the latest and greatest and
they will "upgrade" just because they want the newer model.






.

[abookreader]

If I only have to read 33 books on it to break even in greenness, then I can buy 3 new ones a year.

I've never thrown out an eReader. I've broken two and one I gave to a developer so he could work on some Kindle stuff. The other I sold on EBAY for parts. I gave my old Sony Pocket reader to a friend who is still using it. My other older Kindles are still here being used as back-ups - one is 3 years old. They all have displayed far beyond 33 books over their lifetimes.

Hey look at me being all environmentally friendly and everything!!!!!

[abookreader]

I don't really have time to read the article right now, but from what I can see all his calculations deal with an iPAD device - which is NOT an eReader and is used for far more than reading that 6.whatever books the average reader will consume in a year.

[DrNefario]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

I would also argue that those who buy an ereader are probably way above that average in books per year.

I'm pretty sure I saw something recently about ereader owners reading an average of 24 books a year, so it won't take too long for a net gain.

[howyoudoin]

I'd have thought that the manufacturing, warehousing and delivery of 33 books would have vastly outweighed the carbon footprint of a single e-reader?

[abookreader]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I'd have thought that the manufacturing, warehousing and delivery of 33 books would have vastly outweighed the carbon footprint of a single e-reader?

Like I said - everything I can find in the article uses an iPAD as an "eReader." And according to him the single use eReader is extinct.

Moreover, it takes almost exactly fifty times as much fossil fuel production to power an iPad for the hours it takes to read a book as it would take to read the same book on paper by electric light.

Usage figures are an important element in the estimation of a book’s environmental impact. According to Apple, an iPad is responsible for 2.5 grams of CO2e per hour of use.

Things are trickier than they seem, too. The truth is that the dedicated eReader died almost as soon as it arrived, and it’s since been replaced by items even worse for the environment than its ancestors. What we presently refer to as eReaders are more like all-purpose tablets equipped with email clients, web browsers, games, movie players, and more.

[HarryT]

The truth is that the dedicated eReader died almost as soon as it arrived...

I wonder if anyone's told Amazon that. I'm sure they'd love to know. There they are, selling millions of Kindles, blithely ignorant of the fact that what they're selling is "dead" .

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by abookreader

Like I said - everything I can find in the article uses an iPAD as an "eReader." And according to him the single use eReader is extinct.

Ah k, that makes sense. How ignorant of the writer.

[applesauce]

I looked into an ereader to purchase a great deal. Everybody I know who so called went to an ipad from an eink reader went back to the reader for books. Now the numbers around here might be different and dont get me wrong they enjoy their ipad for tablet things but when it comes to reading books out comes their trusty ebook reader. A huge reason I am really reluctant to spend big bucks on an ipad for my husband to use as an ereader. I just feel he will want the smaller size no eye strain in the end.

applesauce

[K. Molen]

Originally Posted by Joshua.P

I didn't buy my ereader to be "green" so I don't know what 'yall worrying about.

Well, neither did I, but it's a nice bonus. If it had turned out that e-readers were less green than paper books I wouldn't have gone back to paper, but I'm glad to learn that it's not an issue.

And now that it seems Mr. Moran (a bit of an apt name, it turns out) thinks e-ink readers are dead and based all his analysis on the iPad, I suspect it didn't even take 32.5 books for my Kindle to be greener than paper.

[QuantumIguana]

Here's how I look at it. An e-reader is a few ounces of plastic. Just look at the amount of plastic packaging that gets thrown out as soon as you get it home. Over the lifespan of an e-reader, you may use more plastic in bread bags than you did in the e-reader. I think an e-readers is a good use of plastic because it is used for an extended period of time rather than used and thrown away.

I also consider paper books to be a good use of paper. Even with opting out of junk mail, I still get a ridiculous amount of junk mail. Advertising fliers aren't addressed, so I can't opt out. That's wasted paper, it gets thrown away immediately. I have paper books on my shelves that are over 100 years old. That's a goog long-term use of paper.

I'd have to say books are pretty green, whether paper or e-books.

[MovieBird]

Thrown away, as in not recycled!?!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Here's how I look at it. An e-reader is a few ounces of plastic.

The environmentally "nasty" part of a reader is the battery. Battery manufacture is a very "dirty" process involving lots of highly unpleasant chemicals.

[Belfaborac]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

Ah that's interesting.. I don't suppose you have any links detailing that?
Not that I don't believe you, just curious as to the reason behind that.

If the five-year life cycle is a worry or an annoyance (it certainly is to me), you should be able to go on using it until it dies from non-battery-related causes by buying something like this or this. It won't be as convenient to use any more, but for reading at home, or anywhere you're stationary for some time, it ought to do nicely. That's of course if you can't find a replacement battery, or one can't be fitted (I don't know the Kobo). It's what I'll do anyway; there's no way I'm disposing of my 950 just because the battery has conked out.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^^There's some evil in the plastics and other components, but yes, the batteries are quite evil. If we truly want to be environmentally friendly with concerns to reading we should all stop reading now. The first and most neglected R in being environmentally responsible is to reduce.