Every
resource extracted will become waste or
emissions sooner or later. Our economies
result in pollution, acid rain and
greenhouse gases. Despite all the
technical progress made the past decades,
our economies remain amazingly
inefficient. It has been estimated that
only 20% of vast flows of materials used
in Europe actually do not become waste in
the year but add to the stock of
infrastructures, buildings and durable
goods we use in our lives. (lien Waste
and resources)
Overall, the ratio of waste to durable
products that constitute material wealth
may be closer to one hundred to one.
Source: Natural Capitalism The
good news is that it let us a wide scope
to increase our material efficiency.
Things become waste when we don't need
them anymore. For us, they have finished
their life. But they may not have come to
the real end of their life because they
may be useful for doing something else,
for the use of someone else or they may
contain useful parts and materials that
can be extracted and used for doing a new
product.
Recycling is one of the tool
available to increase resource
efficiency. Hence, the recycling
activity is relevant to such important
dimensions of human life such as
environment, economy and social welfare.
If we look at the full picture, it is
no puzzle, reuse and recycling
makes sense.
Reuse and recycling
Reuse and recycling : information by
materials
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