As electronic media continue to replace print sources, we’re faced with a new question: Are electronic solutions the most effective environmental choice? Surprisingly, the answer is, “Not always.”

As production manager, I’m concerned about the constant consumption of paper products tapping out our resources. I’ve assumed that print must be less “green” than electronic delivery of information.

But I’ve learned a few things that have prompted me to re-evaluate. For example, did you know that paper truly is sustainable? We recycle nearly 60 percent of all paper, recovering it to make new products. The paper and forest-products industry replenishes more than it takes and ensures the sustainability of our forests by planting 1.7 million trees every single day, more than three times what is harvested.

On the other hand, the United States recycles only 18 percent of its electronic devices, and many of those are not being reused to make new products.

The Digital Dilemma
We must mine and refine dozens of minerals and metals – including gold, silver and palladium – to make a computer, not to mention the extensive use of plastics and hydrocarbon solvents. The lifespan of a computer is short. Electronics have become the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.

Twenty percent less CO2 is used per year by a person reading a daily printed newspaper versus a person reading web-based news for 30 minutes a day.

We disposed of 1.84 million tons of electronic devices in U.S. landfills in 2006, and we will dump an estimated 30 million-40 million PCs annually in the coming years. eWaste now constitutes our single-largest toxic waste export.

Have we just replaced one monster with a bigger one?

We should continue recycling paper goods and make sure our choices regarding electronic products are based on data-driven comparative analysis of lifecycle, carbon footprint and total environmental impact. The paper industry has been addressing sustainability for decades and it is paying off. We need to do the same with our electronic media.

Have you found an effective solution to recycling your outdated electronics?