Recycling Impact Calculator
See exactly how much CO2 and energy your household recycling saves each year, broken down by paper, metal, glass, plastic, e-waste and compost.
Enter monthly recycling amounts:
Disclaimer. CO2 and energy savings use planning-level emission factors per material type versus landfill and virgin production; actual savings depend on local recycling infrastructure, contamination rates and the specific materials processed. Read full disclaimer →
About the Recycling Impact Calculator
Recycling avoids two sources of emissions at once: the methane and CO₂ released when waste decomposes or is incinerated in a landfill, and the far higher energy cost of manufacturing new products from virgin raw materials rather than recycled ones. This calculator estimates your annual CO₂ savings and energy savings from the amounts of paper, metal, glass, plastic, e-waste and compost you recycle each month (e-waste is entered as an annual figure, since it's recycled less frequently).
CO₂ Saved Per Kilogram Recycled
This calculator applies the following estimated CO₂ savings per kilogram, recycled versus sent to landfill and replacing virgin material production: Paper & Cardboard — 1.17 kg CO₂/kg, Aluminium & Steel — 9.1 kg CO₂/kg (aluminium recycling is especially high-impact because smelting virgin aluminium ore is extremely energy-intensive), Glass — 0.31 kg CO₂/kg, Plastic — 1.5 kg CO₂/kg, E-waste — 0.4 kg CO₂/kg, and Compost — 0.15 kg CO₂/kg (composting organics avoids the methane produced when they decompose anaerobically in a landfill).
Energy Saved Per Kilogram Recycled
Alongside CO₂, the calculator estimates energy savings using: Paper — 17.1 kWh/kg, Aluminium & Steel — 14.7 kWh/kg, Glass — 0.68 kWh/kg, and Plastic — 5.8 kWh/kg. Your total CO₂ saved is also converted into an equivalent number of trees planted, using the same 22 kg CO₂ per tree per year absorption rate used across this site's environmental calculators.