Printed scholarly books and e-book reading devices: a comparative life cycle assessment of two book options

Author

Kozak, Greg L. ; Keolelan, G.A.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Natural Resources & Environ., Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI, USA

fYear

2003

Firstpage

291

Lastpage

296

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of two different book options-electronic and print. This study compared the life-cycle burdens and impacts of a college student reading 40 scholarly textbooks and the equivalent amount of digitized information (53.6-MB) using a dedicated e-book reading device. Total primary energy, material and water requirements, air and water pollutant emissions, and solid wastes for each system were evaluated. By comparing these two book options, this study provides industry, consumers, and policy makers with valuable information necessary to make environmentally informed decisions regarding e-book technologies.

Keywords

air pollution; electronic publishing; water pollution; air pollutant emissions; college student; digitized information; e-book reading devices; environmentally informed decisions; life cycle assessment; life-cycle assessment; life-cycle burdens; material; policy makers; primary energy; printed scholarly books; sensitivity analysis; solid wastes; water pollutant emissions; water requirements; Air pollution; Books; Consumer electronics; Educational institutions; Electronic publishing; Environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques; Industrial pollution; Solids; Waste materials; Water pollution;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Electronics and the Environment, 2003. IEEE International Symposium on

ISSN

1095-2020

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7743-5

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ISEE.2003.1208092

Filename

1208092