Materials required. The materials needed to manufacture an e-reader include plastic (derived from oil), metal and glass, as well as other mineral resources that form the essential electric components and batteries (the life-line) of these devices. For example, the iPad boasts a mercury free LED display, one that is free from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs). Therefore, the primary impact of an iPad comes from particulate matter from energy use and production that will be explored in the point below.
Manufacture of an E-Reader (use of energy, water and natural resources). In the manufacturing process of an e-reader, 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels are burnt, producing around 66 pounds of carbon dioxide. In general, the fossil fuels such as water use and mineral consumption needed to manufacture one e-reader is the equivalent to that of 40-50 print books. Another encouraging piece of information would be that of the net carbon savings that would off-set the estimated 168 kg of carbon dioxide emitted to produce these devices, as further elaborated on here.
Transportation Costs. Not much research has explored the environmental impact that stem from transporting the raw materials (eg. non-renewable minerals) found in developing countries to the manufacture warehouses.
Usage of the E-Reader. If consumed at a normal and healthy rate where one maintains their device’s lifespan for more than a couple of years, research has underlined that perusing electronically will indeed lighten one’s environmental impact. Furthermore, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of a Kindle is fully offset after the first year of use. This points to the accumulated net savings derived from continued usage over the years that can amount to an average of 168kg of CO2 per year (equivalent to the emissions produced in the manufacture and distribution of 22.5 books). Altogether, this could displace 1, 074 kg of CO2 using Forrester’s rate of 3 e-books downloaded in a month, which would result in 44 e-books read in 4 years.
Additionally, in the Book Industry Study Group’s “Survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading” conducted in January 2010, responses gathered from consumers of e-books reflected as such: 25% of e-reader consumers would purchase fewer printed books, 15% would purchase no printed books and 9% of them maintained that they would not buy printed books even if an e-book version was unavailable.
Ultimately, the greatest energy consumption of the e-reader derives from its usage when someone is reading an e-book with the device. More electricity is used when reading a print book at night with the light on as opposed to charging an e-reader. More energy is saved for dedicated e-readers that use e-ink technology (eg. Nook Glowlight). Calculated figures reveal that the breakeven point for e-readers is 30-70 print books that offset the lifetime of an e-reader. Greenhouse gas emissions, which cannot be negated, ultimately round off to that of 20-35 books.
Disposal of Device. Lastly, what struck me was that the human health impacts of e-readers amount to nearly 70 books. Proper and improper methods of disposal shape whether the recycling and waste management processes in developing countries can transit to a greener economy, through ensuring that the dismantling of the key components of an e-reader, alongside other electronic devices, are done in the formal sector and not left to backyard recyclers.