Flickr: kindle.amazon

Given their recent popularity among book readers, electronic books (especially Amazon’s Kindle) could make a significant improvement to the environmental impact of the publishing industry someday soon. According to a new report by The Cleantech Group, Kindles make up for the carbon emitted during their life cycle after one year of use.

The publishing industry has a tremendous environmental impact, with 125 million trees harvested by the U.S. book and newspaper industries in 2008 alone. By transferring book publication to electronic form, however, this impact can be significantly lessened.

While a noticeable impact from Kindles is yet to be seen (only about one million units have been sold), their positive environmental effect has great potential for the future. The report predicts that 14.4 million units will be sold by 2012.

After their first year of use, Kindles save an average of 168 kilograms of carbon emissions, the amount equal to the manufacture and distribution of 22.5 books. If sales continue at the rate projected, this could mean a net carbon savings of 9.9 billion kilograms during the four-year period until 2012.

While Amazon’s Kindle leads the electronic book market with a 45 percent market share, Sony’s Reader follows with a 30 percent stake. Apple has also reported a very positive response to its free Kindle application for the iPhone.

The latest version of the Kindle sells for $299.00 at Amazon.com.

Continued sales of the devices, as well as major shifts in the publishing industry will be necessary before electronic books have an actual positive effect on the environment. Most importantly, the publishing industry will have to decrease the number of actual books printed, in addition to simply making the books available in electronic form.

The New York Times reported that 25 to 36 percent of books manufactured for sale are returned to the publisher, who then disposes of them. This represents a serious waste of the natural resources that went into producing the books, and then shipping them to (and from) the bookstore – with many never even being opened before being incinerated, recycled, or simply thrown away.

By Elizabeth Wolfe