E-book: ecofriendly or not?
Many people are in favor or against the e-book. For some, the paper book is irreplaceable and if there is one thing that has been able to show is that it can last a long time, but nothing is yet known about the electronic book. Others, however, are in favor of e-books and the endless possibilities it offers. The e-book can be purchased at anytime and anywhere and offers many ways of reading in one device.
Among the many topics that are being debated, one absolutely should not be forgotten that is the eco-compatibility of the two formats.
In this regard, the question to ask is this: is the most eco-friendly traditional or digital book?
The e-book does not need paper, does not presume the use of inks and a print job that is intended to produce slurry to be disposed of. To have a e-book just download the desired title from the network, you do not need to move your car to go to the bookstore. Furthermore, it has to consider also the absence of transport to supply the libraries, with the consequent reduction of harmful emissions related to the use of cars.
However, it is hard to determine which the greener choice is. According to research done in the United States, the e-book is the most sustainable of the classic book but you have to read more than twenty year to amortize the CO2 emissions caused by the production of an e-reader. Moreover, the latter has an energy consumption, which in the case of the paper does not exist. Certainly, the market for e-book reader is still young because you can have the final estimates, therefore, in the light of these considerations, the electronic book can be considered highly ecofriendly.
