The Alternative Press

True confession: I love my Kindle. Especially when we travel, having books on the small, convenient Kindle lightens the load considerably. The screen is easy to read and I can download instantly what I want from a variety of sources--many of them free--at home or when I am on the road.

It's not just me, either. A 91-year-old friend wrote in his Christmas letter that his Kindle is his "constant companion" and has increased his book reading enormously. "No more planning to visit a book store, and with reviews so available on the Internet, I can operate from the comfort of my home." He also was very happy that so many books, especially classics, are available at no cost.

On the surface, it would seem that digital readers like the Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhones, etc., would be great for the environment. Think of all the trees that are not being cut down to create books. And people are buying them in droves: In December, 2011, customers purchased more than a million Kindle devices per week!

So what's the downside (because you know there always is a downside)? E-waste is a big problem, and not just with digital readers but with all electronic devices. Rapid changes in technology, changes in media, falling prices, and planned obsolescence have resulted in an ever-increasing amount of e-waste, which contains heavy metals that end up in landfills.

You can make a difference by thinking about how you use, and how you dispose of, your digital devices. The simplest way is to keep your digital reader--indeed, all your digital devices--for as long as possible rather than trading them in every year for new ones. When you are ready to get rid of a digital reader, cell phone, laptop, iPhone, digital camera or other electronic device, you can look into selling it via NextWorth so someone else can use it, keeping it out of a landfill. Or, at the very least, plan to donate or recycle. Sage Eldercare in Summit collects cell phones, laptops, cameras, mp3 players, and video game consoles in order to support programs for local senior citizens. Other recycling and donation options include cell phones for soldiers, Shelter Alliance, and Best Buy stores, as well as many other online sites.

Of course, do not forget the greenest of the green--Summit's Free Public Library. When your hands just itch for a "real" book, look there first. Borrowing and returning books, rather than buying them, is still the greenest option available as it saves trees and decreases the amount of material going into landfills, including e-waste. In addition to books, the Summit library has audiobooks, blue-ray and regular DVDs, and video games. You can also borrow ebooks, including books for Kindles, through the library's connection to ListenNJ.com. Just have your library card number on hand when you access the website. You download them, just like a purchased ebook, and you don't have to worry about returning them because, after the designated borrowing period, they just disappear from your reader.

The greenness of Kindles, and all digital devices, will continue to be debated as more and more people opt for paperless options, but you can do your share right now by carefully choosing your devices to maximize the time you will keep them, and by disposing of them with reuse and recycling in mind.

By Beth Lovejoy, on behalf of the Summit Environmental Commission