The energy related environmental benefits of recycling are dependent upon the type of material. Aluminum and steel production will be looked at as examples. As such, aluminum smelters are generally located in areas where there are reliable supplies of low cost electricity such as hydro-electric power. This is the case in Quebec, where aluminum smelters in the St. Lawrence valley take advantage of low priced electricity from Quebec's large hydroelectric capacity. In the James Bay region of Quebec, there has been controversy, recently, over the flooding of lands inhabited by aboriginal people, in order to construct massive hydroelectric reservoirs.
Recycled aluminum uses only a fraction of the electricity required by bauxite smelters.
Increased aluminum recycling could therefore help reduce the need for new hydro-electric dams. Fossil fuels such as coal are heavily used during the conversion of iron ore into steel. CO 2 is a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming, while SO 2 and NO x are responsible for acid rain. Steel recycling can reduce greenhouse and acid gas emissions from the steel-making industry . The most effective method of reducing the amount of energy consumed by the manufacturing sector of our economy is to reduce the amount of unnecessary products produced, and to reuse items in their original form wherever possible.