No paper -- virgin tree pulp or recycled -- is directly used in a ebook. Electronic publishing conserves the water and other resources of book manufacturing, and transportation costs, too.
I'm a reuser and recycler, and conservation is important to me. Being able to hike through the green velvet shade of the North Cascades National Park, only a few hours away from my home in a busy city, is one of my deepest pleasures. My love for natural places inspires me to be an aware consumer. I find that while some things require a weighing of several factors on a case by case basis, most of the time, conservation is a matter of good habits.
Book buying is one of those rare case-by-case choices. As much as I love hardcover, paper books, I also love being able to have a book with me for the bus, lunch breaks, and waiting times. Other people might fill those times with social networking or game apps; I would rather be nose-first in words. I used to choose mass market paperbacks for this, but now I have a Nook ereader, and I love it. It's a basic model. All it is is an epub reader. All it is is the book -- just electronic!
Ebooks do something important that physical books can't: they save trees. Books typically are not printed on recycled paper, because with each recycling, wood and paper pulp break down to a shorter staple length. Short fibers mean a lower quality of paper that is often fluffier and can tear more easily. While recycled paper is perfectly suited for single use applications, such as household paper goods and restaurant disposables, it may not be an ideal choice for a book intended to be handled and read repeatedly. Non-wood sustainable alternatives such as bamboo paper, cereal straw paper, hemp paper, and waterproof paper have not caught on enough to replace fine papers made from virgin tree pulp.
Of course, there is a little bit of a trade off because once a book is in your hand, it is done stamping its carbon footprint -- until you move residences, that is. In contrast, an ereader is an electronic device that needs to have its battery recharged. However,an epaper ereader such as mine uses very little power. Mine can last up to a week between charges, and when I do charge up the battery, I do so overnight, when energy demand is lower.
It is sometimes a hard choice. I have to admit that sometimes, with authors or stories that I love, I "eat my cake and have it, too"! The beloved hardcover goes on the shelf at home, where it can be enjoyed in pristine condition. The epub edition goes with me, out into the gray, messy world, making my day a little more cheerful.
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