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WARM Model Analysis of Impact on Climate Change 10,000 8,000 6,000 ■ Metric Tons of Carbon 4,000 ■ Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide 2,000 O-Mmmj 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 MTCE (Metric tons of carbon equivalent), and MTCO.,E (Metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions) are figures connnouly used when discussing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information about the process of measuring the environmental benefits ofsvaste reduction, visit httu://eia,vov/climatechanoe/wycd/waste/measureohv.h[ml#click What do all these numbers mean? In addition to preventing pollution, an important impact of recycling is that is conserves a huge amount of energy. Making products and packaging from raw materials harvested from nature uses a much larger amount of energy than using recycled materials. Every manufactured item has the energy used to make it "embedded" into it. Recycling takes advantage of that energy, as it is easier and more energy efficient to make a glass bottle from another glass bottle than from raw materials. The WARM model and other calculators measure the difference between recycling all these tons of materials and using them to make new products versus sending them to an incinerator and making replacement products from raw materials. This difference is expressed as the amount of CO2 that was not produced because we did not have to make and use all the energy that would have been needed if we used raw materials. The numbers above help municipalities calculate and track their environmental footprint. For more information about the process of measuring the environmental benefits of waste reduction, visit httn://epa.Vov/cliniatechan e/wvcd/waste/meastirc .htrnl#click. These numbers, however, don't have much meaning to the average person. To help recyclers understand the significance of their actions, the EPA has also developed tools to translate these numbers into equivalent examples that people can more easily understand. • For example, using the figures above, the EPA estimates that Roseville would have had to remove 1,521 cars from the road for one year to have had the same environmental impact in 2013 as they did by recycling. To achieve this, approximately 10% of Roseville's households would have had to give up one car for a year. 13