Final answer:
Emptying the recycle bin frees up storage space on a computer by permanently deleting files that were temporarily stored in the recycle bin.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emptying the recycle bin frees up storage on your computer. The recycle bin is a temporary storage area for files that have been deleted from the file system but not yet permanently erased. By emptying the recycle bin, you are effectively removing the files and thus releasing the storage space they were occupying. This does not have a direct effect on RAM, processing speed, or software updates.