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Choosing between having a bookshelf filled with heavy tones of paper books from floor to ceiling or owning a book-sized device that holds hundreds of books in electronic format can be a bit difficult for many. but for some, this should be an easy option, since it involves saving the environment.
You are reading: Are books bad for the environment
The ongoing debate between paper books and e-readers has been going on for a long time. Some people share the school of thought that going paperless is essential to saving the environment. while others believe that printed books are better because they give you the feeling of reading and help you focus.
both groups have a strong argument, but the truth is that while this may affect your personal reading habit, printed books cause worse problems for the planet and its inhabitants. that’s something you should think about.
In this digital age, we use technology for basically everything. would it really be bad to include reading in the list?!
Should you stick to paper books or switch to e-readers?
At eco bravo, we say make the change! why?
If you care about saving the environment, then the idea of choosing an e-reader over printed books will come to mind.
papers are often found in all the nooks and crannies of the home, the office, the market, everywhere. And it’s not easy to forget the negative impact paper production has on trees, not to mention the environment.
In addition to the negative impact it has on trees, paper also contributes around 26% of waste to landfills, and its production consumes between 10 and 25 kg of fresh water per paper.
These negative effects, including pollution, would make us agree that it is important to reduce our reliance on paper to ensure that the environment is safe.
While it can be difficult to get rid of paper books instantly, making conscious efforts to reduce your use of paper books will go a long way for the environment.
let’s settle accounts once and for all. Check out our detailed analysis of this matchup: print vs. e-reader.
May the organic option win!
production process
While printed books may have been around for centuries, the effect they have on the environment cannot be overemphasized. paper books have caused more harm than good to the environment from their production process to their disposal. this makes it an extremely harmful practice that should be reviewed immediately.
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In addition to deforestation as a result of the production of printed books, the manufacture of these books also requires a lot of water.
It may seem strange to think that e-readers have fewer negative impacts on the environment than traditional print books, the truth is that e-readers require very few resources to produce compared to traditional books. this makes them very useful when it comes to saving the environment.
storage space
A large collection of paper books could make your home or office look disorganized as they take up a lot of space. On the other hand, no matter how big your e-book collection is, it doesn’t take up as much space as print books.
You don’t need to store your e-book in a room or box, e-books just require a digital device or e-reader to work properly. Keep your home or office tidy and tidy with eBooks!
ebooks reduce air pollution
Air pollution is a serious problem, and the publishing industries are one of the main contributors to this growing global crisis.
During the production of paper books, paper mills release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides into the environment, causing considerable damage.
Also, when papers are bleached during production, a carcinogenic toxin called dioxin is produced. In addition to the gas released during the production process, greenhouse gases are released when these print books are dumped into landfills and begin to decompose.
Furthermore, during the production of paper books, gases are released into the environment that can lead to smog and acid rain.
When it comes to e-books, they don’t cause as much pollution as traditional print books. this is another important reason to switch from traditional paper books to e-books.
ebooks are more portable compared to print books
This is another good reason to love e-books. printed books tend to be heavy, especially hardcover ones. this makes it overwhelming to carry printed books as they take up space.
Ebooks, on the other hand, are lightweight, which makes them easier to carry around compared to paper books. eBooks can contain a whole library of different books, but they are easier to transport.
Most people enjoy reading books on the go, if they do, carrying an e-reader is much better than traveling with a thousand printed books.
transportation
Another reason to switch to e-books is that you don’t have to leave your house to buy new e-books at the local bookstore. With e-books, you can get books directly from digital bookstores and download them immediately from the comfort of your home.
This means you don’t have to use vehicles or any other means of transportation to get them. getting an e-reader actually reduces the amount of fossil fuel that is burned and the gases released into the environment, which ultimately affects air pollution.
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Unlike buying e-books, those interested in getting paper books should visit local bookstores or libraries to get any traditional print books they need. this may take time, the burning of fossil fuels, and may not be convenient.
As if that weren’t enough, the transport of printed books from the publisher to different vendors also adds to the growing global carbon footprint. On top of that, about 25 to 36% of books purchased from bookstores are often returned to publishers. this means consuming additional energy for transport and disposal, especially when these books are bad.
In terms of transportation, it’s obvious that e-books win once again.
consumption of natural resources
the consumption of natural resources during the production process of printed books is much higher and harmful to the planet. It requires a lot of paper, water, and other minerals to make, which eventually leads to a large amount of carbon footprint. Producing a book consumes about 2 kilowatt hours of fossil fuel and about 7.5 kg of CO2.
Another consideration is the light needed to read printed books. Often, people don’t have the opportunity to read print books during the day and choose to read at night. With the help of light bulbs, reading at night can be enjoyable and often fantastic. Although light bulbs are great for reading at night, they often involve energy consumption.
As a bulb emits light, more energy is released, which means more resources are consumed to produce enough power. For those who love to read at night, they end up consuming more energy and their energy bill goes up. however, if you decide to reduce your power consumption, you are restricted to reading only during the day, which may not be convenient.
Unlike traditional printouts, e-readers come with their own backlight, with this you can easily read e-books at night or in dark places without turning on any external light. With the help of this e-readers backlight, you are not restricted to reading books only during the day. so if you want to reduce your home energy use, switch from paper books to e-books.
less waste
Recent studies have shown that printed books are often returned after purchase, which often means additional fossil fuel is burned to get these books back to the bookstore, where they are often bartered. most of these returned books are recycled or thrown into landfills if they can no longer be sold. this generates a large amount of waste in landfills.
On the other hand, e-books are purchased directly from digital bookstores, which means you don’t have to return e-books to bookstores. therefore, e-books reduce the amount of waste in landfills.
Also, when e-books reach their useful life, they can be easily recycled. great right?
Although paper books are outdated and leave plenty of room for readers to stretch their imaginations, these benefits do not outweigh the negative effect it has on the environment. While paper books have been around for decades, e-books can make a big difference to the environment.
- ebooks are portable
- help prevent deforestation
- prevent air pollution
- help reduce energy consumption, etc.
To sum it up, clearly, e-books are the best option for anyone who loves to protect the planet. which is our only home at the moment. When it comes to saving the planet, we don’t need superman for the job. It’s up to you and me to save the world. make the switch today!
© ecobravo
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