# Recycling Carbon Savings Calculator

> Estimate the greenhouse-gas emissions avoided by recycling aluminium, paper, plastics and glass, using the per-kg emission factors you choose.

Category: Energy & environment · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/recycling-carbon-savings-calculator

Recycling avoids emissions because recycled material replaces virgin production. Multiply the mass of each material by an avoided-emissions factor and add them up.

Also called: Recycling CO2 calculator.

## Inputs
- Aluminium recycled (unit kg; default 10; optional)
- Aluminium factor (unit kg CO₂e/kg; default 9; optional)
- Paper and card recycled (unit kg; default 100; optional)
- Paper and card factor (unit kg CO₂e/kg; default 0.5; optional)
- Plastics recycled (unit kg; default 20; optional)
- Plastics factor (unit kg CO₂e/kg; default 1; optional)
- Glass recycled (unit kg; default 50; optional)
- Glass factor (unit kg CO₂e/kg; default 0.3; optional)

## Results
- Emissions avoided
- In tonnes
- Material recycled
- Average saving per kg
- From aluminium
- From paper and card
- From plastics
- From glass

## Formula

```
Avoided emissions = Σ (Mass of material × Avoided-emissions factor for that material)
```

Where:
- Mass: kg of each material sent for recycling
- Factor: kg CO₂e avoided per kg recycled, from the methodology you use

## Worked example
1. Aluminium 10 × 9 = 90; paper 100 × 0.5 = 50; plastics 20 × 1 = 20; glass 50 × 0.3 = 15 kg CO₂e.
2. Total: 90 + 50 + 20 + 15 = 175 kg CO₂e, or 0.175 t.

**Result:** With these example factors, recycling 180 kg of mixed material avoids about 175 kg CO₂e, more than half of it from 10 kg of aluminium.

## What the result means

The result is only as good as the factors. Published factors differ by country, by what they assume recycled material replaces and by whether collection and transport are included, so use one consistent source and name it when reporting.

## Assumptions and limits
- Factors are net avoided emissions per kg collected for recycling.
- All collected material is actually recycled.
- The default factors are illustrative examples, not official values.

## Questions

### Why does aluminium save so much?

Making aluminium from ore is very energy-intensive, while remelting scrap needs only a small fraction of that energy.

### Where do I find factors?

Government greenhouse-gas conversion factor tables and waste-model tools publish factors per material; use the one that matches your reporting framework.

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Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/recycling-carbon-savings-calculator