Does recycling save energy?
Yes! Making aluminum from recycled cans requires 93% less energy than making aluminum from new minerals. Newsprint made from old newspapers requires 46% less energy to make than newsprint made from wood. Many people ask about the energy used by trucks to collect recyclables. Compared to the energy saved when the recyclables are turned into new products, collection trucks use relatively little energy. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality estimates that industrial energy savings from residential curbside recyclables are 72 times greater than the energy used to collect them from our homes.
