Obtaining pressurized air represents a significant expenditure of energy for every branch of industry, and today it is simply unthinkable to exist industrial plants without the production, distribution and use of pressurized air. This is particularly representative in the wood processing industry where it has been shown that there is a low awareness of the savings that can be made with the produced air under pressure, starting from its proper use to the use of waste heat through recovery. Bearing the above in mind, research was carried out in companies of the wood industry in Serbia in order to analyze the economics of obtaining and adequate use of pressurized air. Also, solutions were suggested for the recovery of waste heat in screw and reciprocating compressor plants, which are most present in the wood processing industry, as shown by the survey. The conclusions were drawn in the form of guidelines for the rational use of pressurized air, which can bring significant savings in energy consumption and increase efficiency and productivity in work.