Summary

In "Taking It Offline: E-Commerce," Schlossberg investigates whether or not online shopping reduces or increases material waste, and overall energy expenditures. While buying products online grants consumer convenience, the habit uses a significant amount of resources, including gasoline and cardboard.

Though new cardboard can be produced from recycled cardboard, the process requires exponential amounts of energy. Furthermore, the majority of cardboard is not recycled at all. While companies have incentives, often monetary, for recycling cardboard waste properly, the individual does not. Producing new cardboard, therefore, requires more and more trees to be cut down.

Schlossberg also reveals consumer tendency to return more when shopping online, therefore expending more gasoline for transportation of goods. When customers feel the return process is too inconvenient, they often throw unused products away: another form of waste.

In "Silicon Valley...