Recycling helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption. Using recycled materials to make new products reduces the need for virgin materials. This avoids greenhouse gas emissions that would result from extracting or mining virgin materials.

Climate change, recycling and waste prevention

Waste prevention and smart shopping are even more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that result from energy consumption. When we buy less or reuse products, less energy is needed to extract, transport and process materials to manufacture products. Purchasing products made from recycled materials, such as paper, plastics, and metal, instead of virgin materials also helps to reduce energy consumption. In addition, waste prevention and recycling paper products allows more trees to remain standing, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

How much we consume has a direct impact on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced. When we buy more and new products, our consumption sets off a chain of events that produce greenhouse gas emissions, from extracting raw materials for the manufacture of products to the amount of waste to be managed when we no longer want them. Fewer greenhouse gases are produced when we prevent waste by buying less, or buy goods and services that have less impact on the environment.

Before we pick up a product from a store shelf or purchase it online, the materials that it is made up of go through several stages to become a product. Once we’ve purchased a product, we use it until we no longer want or need it. Then it becomes a waste that we either give away for someone else to use, recycle or throw away as garbage. Reusing what we have, composting or recycling help reduce climate change. Learn how recycling, waste prevention and composting minimize our impact on the climate.

It’s easy to not give it any thought, but our choices as consumers have a significant impact on climate change. There’s a process behind every product that you buy, use and ultimately reuse, recycle or throw out. Energy is required during each step along a product’s life – from raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, purchase, use and finally to disposal.