Sustainable Publishing vs E-waste

Broken Keys Publishing
5 hours ago
3 min read

Starting May 20^th, 2026, Amazon will officially end the ability to purchase, borrow, or download new content directly from the Kindle Store on e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets released in 2012 or earlier. Their connection to Amazon's modern digital ecosystem will be largely severed.

That's approximately 2 million e-readers (Kindles and Kindle Fire Tablets) either scheduled for the e-waste or obsolescence. Think this is good for the environment? Think again.

So, e-book or printed book?

What exactly are you getting when you buy an e-book?

Maybe it's time to consider Sustainable Publishing?

Maybe it's time to learn about some erroneously but commonly believed myths.

Myth: E-Books are harmless.

Fact: Amazon's (holding 72% of the e-reader market in 2022) real market isn't the e-book, but their user's data. There are currently no federal laws to stop them from surveilling people who read digital books across the entire internet, or selling or sharing this information to various political ends. Your privacy is not protected.

Myth: E-Books are environmentally friendly and carry no carbon footprint.

Fact: Mobile phones, e-readers, devices, notebooks, data centers, and telecommunication networks are large emitters of greenhouse gasses.

Myth: E-books will make paperback books obsolete.

Fact: E-books have never been the majority in sales vs printed books and have been on a decline since the mid-20-teens.

Myth: E-Books are environmentally friendly and carry no carbon footprint.

Fact: All e-books must be viewed through an electronic device and all electronic devices require batteries and internet service. Lithium is toxic. It is a poison, and lithium batteries disposed of into landfills release toxins and heavy metals into the soil and groundwater.

A study from Australia found that 98.3% of lithium batteries end up in landfills.
The more batteries in landfills, the higher the chances of landfill fires. Landfill fires burn for years.
Only about 5% of the world’s lithium batteries are recycled.
Then there is the manufacturing cost, carbon footprint, and disposal of the electronic devices themselves. The manufacturing process of a smartphone accounts for about 85% of its carbon footprint, making it the most damaging device to the environment.
The plastic housing of the cell phone contribute to the dangerous problem of microplastics. 84% of all e-waste ends up in landfills each year.

Myth: It is a widely believed myth that printing and printed books are bad for the environment and contribute to deforestation.

Fact: The truth and reality is the paper mill industry puts more trees in the ground than they take out.

The more paper that is used,

the more trees are planted.

The more trees planted, the more carbon is

sequestered from the atmosphere.

Myth: Paper is not sustainable.

Fact: Sustainable Forest Management helps sequester carbon, and fights the effects of climate change and contribute towards the reduction of carbon footprints and global warming.

Myth: It is often assumed the paper mill industry engages in clear-cutting practices.

Fact: Sustainable Forest Management and clear-cutting are drastically different practices. Clear-cutting is wonton and indiscriminate deforestation. Sustainable Forest Management is more akin to a farmer's crops. They are nurtured, harvested, and not only replanted, but excessively replanted.

Myth: The printing process requires harsh and harmful inks and chemistry.

Fact: Vegetable-based inks are a renewable resource and do not require harmful chemicals for cleaning the printing presses. Vegetable-based inks are easier to de-ink as opposed to petroleum-based inks in the recycling process. Soy and vegetable-based inks are widely recognized as the environmentally friendly choice.

Myth: The manufacturing of printed books consumes large amounts of fossil fuels.

Fact: The foresting industry (and in turn, paper) is at the top of the list when it comes to on-site electricity generation of any manufacturing sector. Some paper mills generate renewable energy at a rate +76.3%.

At Broken Keys Publishing & Press we practice Sustainable Publishing and have been noted for it, having received the Ottawa Awards for Best Green Initiative 2025.