Are CO2 emissions involved in recycling process?
Some CO2 emissions arise from recycling, including the associated transportation. However, the important point is that recycling generally results in a reduction in CO2 emissions overall compared with the use of virgin raw materials. For example it has been estimated by the European Commission that recycling one tonne of paper saves 900 kg of CO2 equivalent over the production of virgin paper. The corresponding figures for PET plastic (used for the production of some plastic bottles) and aluminium are 1800 kg and 9,100 kg respectively.
