Why is recycling more beneficial than waste prevention for some material types?
For some materials (e.g., aluminum, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, dimensional lumber, and medium-density fiberboard), the greenhouse gas benefits of recycling are greater than source reduction for the current mix of virgin/recycled inputs. This is because recycling is assumed to displace 100 percent virgin inputs, whereas source reduction is assumed to displace some recycled and some virgin inputs. For more information please see “Why Recycling Some Materials Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions More than Source Reduction.
