Are e-readers less wasteful?
January 26, 2010 - 1:48pm
Relevant Department:
Waste Management
Has anyone seen any studies on how sustainable e-readers are? I could imagine that maybe they reduce paper waste and/or are more affordable for students (compared to the cost of buying textbooks), but I haven't seen any studies confirming my presumptions. Thanks!
February 26, 2010 - 4:58pm
#2
Thanks Niles! I also just came across a study by Princeton University with results showing that student who used the Amazon KindleDX electronic reader "reduced the amount of paper they used to print course readings by almost 50 percent." I hadn't considered conserving printed paper as a possible benefit.
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The debate has really only begun, but here is an article that may be of some help, "Are E-Readers Greener Than Books?" The article references a study that looked specifically at the Amazon Kindle and concluded, "... that, on average, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of a Kindle is fully offset after the first year of use. "
There are competing arguments, but I have not yet seen a study that shows that e-readers are worse than regular printed books from an environmental standpoint. I actually received an e-reader over the holidays as a gift and am on my third novel with it. It took a little getting use to, but I do enjoy it. I have other concerns besides the environmental impacts however, including the impact on local bookstores and businesses.