E-Book Readers – The Environmental Benefits
It’s probably fair to say that most of us are more environmentally aware these days. It seems improbable that we are about to turn into a nation of eco-warriors overnight, but the majority of people are quite happy to make a little effort to be greener. It is actually a whole bunch of small changes by a large number of people that tends to make the difference. The good news is that you can be more environmentally friendly whilst saving both time and money.
For example, a recent study carried out by Carnegie Melon University clearly showed that online shopping has a lower environmental impact than the traditional method of buying from retail outlets. One example used in the study was the purchase of a flash memory stick, and it was found the environmental impact of the traditional retail method was 35% greater than making an identical purchase using the internet.
Similar research – undertaken by CleanTech – found that a standard printed book had a carbon footprint of 7.5 kg of CO2 over its useful lifespan. This figure was increased by a factor of two if the customer used their car to drive to the shop, bought their book and then drove home again instead of having it delivered by post.
Approximately 65% of the emissions generated by traditional shopping methods are a direct result of the customer’s transport to the store and back again.
Shopping online is not just a better option for the environment – it will save you time and many times you will find what you’re looking for at a lower price. You can increase the environmental benefits even further just by selecting the right type of product.
If you opt to buy electronic books as opposed to the conventional printed type, you will save on paper, ink and the energy required for the printing and binding process. In general, e-books are available at a lower price than the printed versions – and you will save on gas as well. You can even subscribe to get magazines and newspapers delivered to e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle reader every day.
In a similar manner, if you choose to download music to your PC or mp3 player, you will save on CDs, packaging and distribution emissions. Downloading movies, which you can now do from iTunes, Amazon and a number of other sites also has both cost and environmental benefits.
So when it comes to buying online, why not adopt a two pronged approach. Firstly, if you can save on a trip to the store in your car by buying online then that will normally be a sensible option. Secondly, if you can swap downloadable products for physical ones then you will not only be doing your bit for the planet – but you will save time and money.
Read more about the Amazon Kindle ebook reader and see how you can save by getting free Kindle books direct from the Amazon website.
Related posts:
- What Format Will Be Standard For E-Books? Following two years of dominance by Amazon, it now seems...
- Amazon Kindle 2 Makes Your Christmas Complete Technology has never stopped enhancing people's way of life as...
- Environmental Emissions: An Introduction By: Scott Lintern The releasing of gaseous substances into air...
- Environmental consulting: An Introduction By: Scott Lintern Environmental change and its bad impact on...
- Can You Learn Golf From A Book? With golf slowly becoming one of the most popular sports...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.