Every time a new product is made from raw materials, large amounts of energy are consumed.  We can think of the role energy plays in the four stages of product development: extraction of raw materials, the manufacture of these materials into products, product use by consumers and product disposal. Recycling products help decrease the amount of energy it takes to produce these items. 

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For example, using recycled aluminum scraps to make aluminum cans uses 95 percent less energy than making aluminum cans from bauxite ore, the raw material used to produce aluminum. Another example is steel, which uses 75 percent less energy to make recycled steel than steel produced from its raw material, iron ore. In most cases, recycling uses less energy, which translates into fewer fossil fuels burned and therefore reduces CO2 in the atmosphere, decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.