Are ereaders really that green?

[tomsem]

Many electronics manufacturers (including Amazon and Apple) provide free recycling services for their products. I think the EU mandates this or something similar. When cost of recycling becomes the responsibility of the manufacturer, they design products differently and with the full product cycle in mind. The same is true of everything we buy of course, including pbooks.

There's a long way to go though in educating consumers, and having fewer things to recycle in the first place.

[GlenBarrington]

The simple truth is, life of any sort creates waste. From Cow farts to tin cans, something always gets left behind. Some waste can be used by others and some can not. It is admirable to want to create as little waste as possible or to make sure your waste is usable by someone/something else; but I suspect worrying about it excessively will only drive you insane!

I have no idea what excessive worry is on this sort of thing though. Trying to define that could also drive you insane.

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by SCION

Christmas time is the absolute worst when it comes to packaging that is not recycled!!!

I think manufacturers use way too much packaging in general. I hate spending 15 minutes trying to unpack a barbie from a box where she is tied in with wire ties, her hair is stapled to the cardboard, and you can't even get to that part until you have sliced through the glued, heat sealed, and crimped plastic she is encased in!!

Ok, I'm done...

[basschick]

i suspect how many new books a person used to buy vs how many new ebooks might have something to do with how green a reader is. a guy who reads 12 books a year won't have the same impact as far as paper and processing - particularly the glossy or hard covers with multi colored ink - as a guy who reads 100 books a year.

funny how much paper comes up and how little printing chemicals come up. the chemicals involved in printing pretty covers aren't exactly eco friendly.

[WillAdams]

Actually most printing inks these days are made from soybean oils and the only chemical releases most printers file for is for MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) used in washing down the presses --- liquid wastes have to be neutralized for ph-balance before disposal.

William

[SCION]

Originally Posted by dsvick

I think manufacturers use way too much packaging in general. I hate spending 15 minutes trying to unpack a barbie from a box where she is tied in with wire ties, her hair is stapled to the cardboard, and you can't even get to that part until you have sliced through the glued, heat sealed, and crimped plastic she is encased in!!

Ok, I'm done...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

OK, let's look at a few facts (for a change) . A few years ago, a study was done by the Book Industry Study Group and Green Press Initiative of the environmental impact of the book industry...

A few points to add to this list:

• Paper production uses huge amounts of fresh water, mixed with chemicals and bleaches. When that water is through the system, it is generally dumped into the local watershed, chemicals, bleaches and all.
• Most paper processing plants are powered by coal-fired plants.
• Those concerned with the carbon footprint of a dedicated reader can always read e-books on a device they already have, such as a cellphone or PDA, and thereby not add to the waste stream by manufacturing another device.

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

A few points to add to this list:

• Paper production uses huge amounts of fresh water, mixed with chemicals and bleaches. When that water is through the system, it is generally dumped into the local watershed, chemicals, bleaches and all.
• Most paper processing plants are powered by coal-fired plants.
• Those concerned with the carbon footprint of a dedicated reader can always read e-books on a device they already have, such as a cellphone or PDA, and thereby not add to the waste stream by manufacturing another device.

While I agree wholeheartedly with your last point, and still think a voracious reader comes out ahead with ebooks, I think we would also need to take into account the facts that plastics manufacture also involves wastes being dumped into local watersheds and very likely is powered by a coal-fired plant.

There are a number of different ways that the impact of pbooks and ebooks can be compared, and trying to figure out how to weight them for an overall comparison is probably impossible (it would depend on which aspects of the factors are important to each individual). For example, the printing and binding process produces a lot of airborne cellulose fibers, which may present a breathing hazard. If the pbooks are produced in a low-cost region like China or India, odds are good the workers have no protection from these fibers. On the other hand, circuit board manufacture may involve exposure to lead and other heavy metals, and may also rely on child labor.

I'm not saying it isn't worthwhile to make these comparisons, only that they aren't simple.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by emonti8384

It concerns me that the knowledge isn't available to us. For example, I have no idea where to throw my old cell phone away, or my old reader. I know where to buy new ones tho!

If you're in the UK?

When you buy a new electronic device, and have an old one of the same kind, the seller must take the old one for disposal. WEEE regulations.

Also, incidentally, it's generally more eco-friendly to burn paper in power-generating, carbon-capturing incinerators than to recycle it. (The exception is for newspaper-quality paper)

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by nekokami

While I agree wholeheartedly with your last point, and still think a voracious reader comes out ahead with ebooks, I think we would also need to take into account the facts that plastics manufacture also involves wastes being dumped into local watersheds and very likely is powered by a coal-fired plant.

Of course. As it happens, the water-use and recycling process of the average electronics plant (even outside of the U.S.) is far superior over the average paper-producing plant, by orders of magnitude: Paper production involves soaking vats of chemicals, whereas electronics systems are much more careful and frugal with water and chemical use.

Finally, while a single device may go through more chemicals and materials than a single book, the economy of numbers still puts reading devices on top, as you end up producing in aggregate far less electronic devices than books.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by nekokami

While I agree wholeheartedly with your last point, and still think a voracious reader comes out ahead with ebooks, I think we would also need to take into account the facts that plastics manufacture also involves wastes being dumped into local watersheds and very likely is powered by a coal-fired plant.

And that plastic is made from petroleum, so you're increasing oil use/dependency etc. with all the environmental and social issues that come with that.

But your right, there are so many factors and pros to cons to both paper books and ebooks it's hard to really decide with certainty which is better environmentally.

I tend to not think much on those issues and just think about what I can personally due to lower my carbon footprint with not being wasteful, recycling everything possible, properly disposing of things etc. I can more accurately make a difference that way vs. worrying about the carbon footprint that went into making whatever I'm buying, which is largely an unknown.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

And that plastic is made from petroleum, so you're increasing oil use/dependency etc. with all the environmental and social issues that come with that.

So... like I said... don't have a dedicated reader made. Use a device you already have, and you're not using up more petroleum. That's the best way to maintain a small carbon footprint.

[dmaul1114]

Like I said, I'm just don't worry about that aspect of my carbon footprint. If I want a gadget, I'll buy it. I just make sure that I dispose of it properly when I no longer have a use for it.

A person could drive themselves crazy if they're analyzing every aspect of their carbon footprint incessantly. Just do the smart things like by high MPG cars, live closer to work, make your home as energy efficient as possible, recycle everything you can, use re-usable shopping bags etc. and don't worry about every purchase you make and what it's carbon impact was etc.

IMHO anyway.