Books vs e-Books Calculator
Sustainability & EnvironmentCompare the carbon footprint of an e-reader against printed books over its lifetime.
CO2 saved by using an e-reader
Net CO2 saved compared to buying that many printed books
Equivalent in trees planted
2.6571
Number of trees needed to absorb the same amount of CO2 in a year
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Odeh Ahwal0people find this calculator helpful
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Sustainability & Environment calculators
Calculator Stats
Creators
Odeh Ahwal0people find this calculator helpful
Views
Helpful
Saved
Embeds
Sustainability & Environment calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an e-reader always better for the environment than printed books?
Only once you read enough books on it to offset its higher manufacturing footprint, since producing an e-reader emits far more CO2 upfront than producing a single book.
How many books does it take for an e-reader to break even?
With a typical e-reader footprint of 168 kg CO2 and 7.46 kg CO2 per printed book, it takes about 23 books to break even.
What about magazines and newspapers?
Reading magazines and newspapers digitally adds even more savings, since those are typically read once and discarded, unlike books that may be kept or resold.
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