Print vs. E-Waste

E-Waste is a relatively new term to me, not because I'm not familiar with electronic waste, but because it's a topic that is rarely talked about, and because I've never heard it be referred to in its short-form. You often hear the discussion about how wasteful printed materials are, and how outmoded they are becoming, but you never hear about how wasteful the world of electronics is, which is very surprising because of how many electronic devices are available now. Print and electronics both have their uses and benefits, as well as their drawbacks, but is one really any better than the other?

I did some research and came across a website treehugger.com which has a really neat infographic about e-waste that summarizes what I've read on other websites, but with pictures. Check it out here. They also have multiple articles about the ongoing debate between books and e-readers. See one of them here, which discusses whether e-books are really more "green" than their printed counterparts.

Here are summaries of what I've found and some of my thoughts on the issue:

• Electronics and printed materials both have negative impacts on the environment. 
• There should be a balance between the two. We need to cutback on unnecessary paper uses, either by getting rid of them altogether, or by moving things into the electronic age. I'm thinking specifically of mail flyers, bank statements and manuals for electronics.
• Paper use is not going anywhere, so we should start exploring the mass production of more sustainable types of paper, like bamboo paper, sugarcane paper and rock paper, and make a greater effort to only purchase paper that is FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council)
• We shouldn't be condemning the use of paper because it has many benefits that electronics will never be able to match or replace:
• A lot of paper can be made with the use of 100% recycled materials.
• Paper is a lot easier to recycle, both in terms of the consumer getting rid of it, and the actual recycling process.
• Paper can be composted and breaks down naturally - depending on the amount of ink and what kind of inks were used on it.
• Paper is more easily reused.
• Paper lasts far longer than any electronic ever will. Human's have been writing things down since the beginning of time, and we will always need to have hard copies of records and important documents.
• Electronics are very useful and should be used more often to help streamline businesses, but there is, again, the need for hard copies.
• Electronics have VERY short life spans and are replaced on a regular basis. Think of the number of cell phones, music players, tablets, and TV's, just to name a few, the average person is likely to go through in a lifetime.
• Many electronics contain toxic materials and valuable resources that wind up in landfills.

Print and electronics are both important parts of our lives, and both have a right to be there, but since they both have different uses and benefits, we need to learn how to use both to their best abilities and figure out what would be best for any given circumstance. But regardless of whether you lean toward one of the other, both can be incredibly wasteful, and we need to start taking more responsibility for the resources that we consume.