Climate change and recycling: what's the connection?

The effect of climate change represents a threat to biomes and, consequently, to all species that inhabit them We are already feeling the consequences: in Brazil there has been an increase in fires in the Pantanal and the Amazon, Europe is suffering from intense rains and flash floods and the USA is suffering from heat waves, forest fires and locusts. It seems like the end of the world, but it is just the direct and concrete consequences of a global problem that reflects the interconnectedness of our society. The planet is warming and human activity is largely responsible for this warming. Extra greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are the main reason. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane, for example, trap the Sun's heat in Earth's atmosphere. These emissions come from the burning of fuels in the case of carbon and the decomposition of garbage. This is a problem especially in the case of organic waste, as its decomposition in an oxygen-poor environment produces methane. Glaciers are melting in the ocean, global sea levels and water temperatures are rising. We have little time to act. To adequately address this crisis, we must urgently reduce carbon pollution and prepare for the consequences of global warming that we are already experiencing. That's where recycling can come in as a mechanism to help. Improving waste management helps mitigate climate change. The solution to this massive problem will require global collaboration, flexibility, and the courage to try new things. Reducing emissions will not be an easy task and there is no consensus on how to achieve the reductions necessary to protect future generations from catastrophic environmental and humanitarian crises. Can recycling help combat climate change? As with most questions we ask about environmental issues, the answer is a little more complex than a simple yes or no. There are many reasons why the recycling process is beneficial to the environment. According to this report from the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), the use of recycled plastic, for example, reduces the environmental impact of energy and emissions by more than 50%. For other recyclable materials, such as paper and aluminum, this can reach up to 75 or 80%. But in general the answer is: yes, recycling helps combat climate change. If we recycled more, people would have less need to buy new products, therefore fewer products would need to be transported. Recycling also keeps waste out of landfills, which eliminates the need for it to be incinerated. This waste incineration releases millions of tons of CO₂, as well as other greenhouse gases and countless pollutants into the atmosphere. So yes, recycling helps the climate in the long run, but it only does so if the system is working properly. Recycling also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy consumption. Using recycled materials to make new products reduces the need for virgin materials. This prevents greenhouse gas emissions that would result from extracting or mining virgin materials. Additionally, making products from recycled materials typically requires less energy than making products from virgin materials. Recycling materials saves energy Every time a new product is made from new raw materials, a large amount of energy is consumed. Reducing energy consumption reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For most materials, recycling uses less energy, which translates into fewer fossil fuels burned and reduced greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Recycling metals, for example using recycled aluminum scraps to make aluminum cans, consumes 95% less energy than making aluminum cans with bauxite ore (the raw material used to produce aluminum). Another example is steel. It takes 75% less energy to make recycled steel than steel made from its raw material, iron ore.

The connection between recycling and climate change

In addition to saving energy and natural resources (raw material extraction), recycling also prevents waste from decomposing in landfills. This helps combat climate change. Less waste in landfills means less release of carbon-rich greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In itself, recycling is not a solution to our climate problem, but its carbon footprint is better than waste management alternatives. Recycling also helps reduce waste and therefore pollution. In other words, recycling reduces the overall environmental impact and contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle. Recycling as a way But recycling is much more than just an alternative to landfill or incineration. There are substantial benefits to exchanging virgin materials, extracted through mining and deforestation, with the use of recycled equivalents. Across a range of materials, using recycled content instead of virgin content reduces energy use and emissions in manufacturing new products. In almost all cases, recycling saves carbon, although the savings can be quite different depending on the material being recycled. Metals, for example, bring greater savings. For materials that are more difficult to recycle, incineration is more efficient than landfills at capturing and using greenhouse gases. As important as correct waste management is for the environment, this strategy must be part of an integrated and multifaceted plan for sustainable human societies. In other words, for recycling to contribute to climate change mitigation, it must be part of a holistic, minimalist and energy-efficient approach to waste management.