The discussion about which book format(s) is the better has been going on for some time. There are pro and cons to all of them, and what we land on as readers is often about personal preferences and what we seek, have access to, and are willing to compromise on when it comes to our reading experiences and values. A factor that is often left out when discussing the "best book format" is the environmental impact of these different types of formats. In this article, I will attempt to run down the good and the bad of the three main formats of books - audio, electronic, and printed copies to better answer this question from an environmental point of view. It will start with the pros and cons for everyday readers, before diving into e-readers v. printed books and how they measure up in the sustainability debate. A distinction between paperbacks and hardcovers will not be accounted for.
PROS AND CONS OF THE DIFFERENT FORMATS FOR THE EVERYDAY READER
There are a handful of main features to look at when distinguishing between the different formats in terms of qualities favored by a reader. Among those are price (cost of a book, membership) and accessibility (weight, charging, reading ability), and aesthetics like book designs and smell.
Audiobooks: Audiobooks are likely one of the easiest ways to read while doing something else, e.g. traveling or chores. At a minimum, it requires access to a book through an app on your phone or other smart devices. It drags you into the story through the voice(s) of the narrator(s), enhancing the natural flow of the text, distinguishing between characters, and setting the atmosphere through sound alone. Some people have no issues with listening to a book, while others struggle with retaining information and engaging with the book when they only rely on hearing.
Audiobooks are often pricy without a membership, the cost being steeper than both e-books and printed copies. Membership requires an app and a monthly cost which continue to grant you access to their digital library. There are different "deals" on different apps, Audible by Amazon being used by many. Audible offers readers free credits every month to spend on a book of their choice. The credits may often reduce the cost of an audiobook compared to if you were to buy it at its original price. You also won't lose an already downloaded book if your membership is ended or paused. If you want to take uttermost use of Audible, one should take note of the option to return books for credits. This feature is however not without consequences for the author of which book you return. As a reader myself, I would suggest not returning books by small authors, your favorite authors, and books you finished to grab another one for "free." It can have severe impacts on the financial stability of the author. Audible is not a library, but a store. A general recommendation, use local audio platforms instead of Amazon.
There are other ways to access audiobooks as well. Digi books or CDs can be accessed at a library or purchased at a store. The weight of a DigiBook device is not much more than a phone, but requires another electrical device compared to relying on what you already have. Access to books will vary depending on where you are in the world. Likewise, CD's might be good for a car ride or a home reading practice, but won't do it on a bus ride or in public like a phone unless you really want to rock a Diskman.
E-books: Ebooks are also digital downloaded copies mainly available through your phone, e-reader, or laptop. They are lightweight to travel with and let you bring a plethora of books to read on one small device. Whether you require a monthly membership to keep your access to e-books depends on the app you're using. Often most, e-books are easier to buy and are a one-time purchase stored in a cloud linked to your account and\or device. E-books are definitively cheaper than both audiobooks and printed copies.
Many purchase e-readers to go with their e-books. E-readers can reduce the strain on your eyes, let you keep a larger library, have fewer distractions, and save your charge on other devices while reading. However, it is an electrical device whose environmental impact will be discussed later in this article.
Printed books: What foremost distinguishes a printed book from digital editions is the reader's ability to interact with it - touch and smell being the primary pros for this argument. Printed books come in an array of different sizes and editions and do for many act as collectibles. Printed copies are looked at as the most aesthetically pleasing, having, among them, dustjackets, embossed covers, sprayed edges, zigzagged edges, and incorporated bookmarks going for them design-wise. They are by far the most extravagant edition where you can get everything from a minimally designed paperback to a limited-print, embossed and leatherbound hardcover edition. The option to choose the design of your edition is not often carried over to digital copies, which often rely on your geolocation to offer you your "local" cover (Europe or internationally often meaning the UK cover as much is based in the U.S.)
Printed copies are heavier than digital editions, and overall land as a medium-priced type of book format. Printed books are available wherever you go as long as you have the space and carrying capacity to take them with you. Paperbacks clearly take the front seat as the better traveling companion. Unlike digital editions, printed books has definitively another sphere of sharing to it that renting from digital libraries does not. When you first have a book, you won't lose it because your subscription runs out or being declined from sharing it or your account with others. It is something you pay a one-off sum for and which the seller can not take away from you if the work is removed from the platform or smilar.
Where digital editions don't directly require any ink or wood, they are the two main components of a printed book. Like e-readers, also these leave an environmental impact which will be touched upon below.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PRINTED EDITIONS v. E-READERS
Digital copies have over the last decades become a part of "Green Publishing" initiatives. Green Publishing are ways the publishing industry is working towards lowering its impact on climate change. Printed editions relies on wood which can be linked to deforestation of endangered forests, and ink which can become an environmental pollutant. Producing a single printed book produces about 7.5kg of CO2 and consumes about 2 kWh. Additionally, it uses less than half a kilo of minerals and 7.5liters of water. Solutions for the industry to the wood and ink usage are using more recycled paper, FSC-certified wood, and reducing the amount of chlorine in the bleaching process of paper. Petroleum-based ink can be traded for vegetable-based ink. Yet, readers want to distance themselves from the negative impact printed books have on the environment. Here, e-readers and digital copies have become a popular alternative.
Despite good intentions, e-readers are not necessarily better for the environment. Upfront, it uses ~30kg CO2 and 100 kWh. It also uses ~15kg of minerals, some linked to war conflicts. This means that you need to use your e-reader a lot to leave a smaller impact than if you read on a multipurpose device like your phone or bought a handful of printed books a year. Mainly, studies have found that you need to substitute 22-50 printed copies to make up for the production of an e-reader, and thus make e-readers an overall better option for the environment than physical copies.
THE IMPACT OF AUDIOBOOKS
Audiobooks require no production of a new physical object to be listened to. It also needs no additional shipping to reach the consumer. Its impact will primarily be downloaded or streamed audio files. Here, downloaded files are considered better than streamed ones if you aim to revisit the material. However, overall, it does not leave a much larger impact than streaming or downloading movies and shows. This is, of course, as long as you read on a multipurpose device you already own such as your phone, laptop, or tablet.
WHAT IS BETTER?
Due to their small digital form, audiobooks are the best choice for the environment as long as you already have a device to read on. Otherwise, what is the better choice of format depends on your overall usage. For printed edition, its impact on global forests is the biggest concern, while e-readers take a heavy toll with mining and CO2 emissions per unit.
If you read a few books a year, printed copies are better than investing in an e-reader. If you read more than 22-50 books within the lifespan of your e-reader, reading all of those as e-books is better than buying the same books printed. The instances where you can download content and read on devices you already own are always better than ones where you have to buy something firsthand. If that means a printed book or an e-reader.
However, as a reader, you also got to make considerations for yourself and what you want out of the tool you choose to read on and if it works for you. There are pros and cons with all formats and whether they are "environmentally friendly" may not be the make or break factor.
READ & SHARE
While discussing the impacts through firsthand purchases, it is important to mention the positive impact secondhand purchases and sharing have on the environment. The longer a book or device travels from hand to hand, the better it is for the environment as fewer resources are being claimed. Buying books and e-readers secondhand, going to the library, swapping, or borrowing from a friend is ultimately the best option.
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