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Using Earth's resources, LCAs and recycling Typeit
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Humans often use natural resources in a way that is unsustainable. Many of Earth's resources are , which means they are running out. Some of these can be replaced by resources which are easily replenished, or by synthetic products made by people.
Water is essential for life, but only water that has negligible levels of microbes and dissolved substances is safe to drink. This is not always produced in the same way in different areas; however, in the UK, fresh water (mainly from rain) is filtered and . Otherwise, salty water may need to undergo , which requires a lot of energy. water, such as sewage, also needs to be treated to remove organic matter, chemicals and microbes before it is safe for release into the environment.
Metal ores which were previously dug up via are now being harvested via organisms such as plants and bacteria in processes called phytomining and , respectively. This avoids the need to dispose of large volumes of rock. Metals, among other products, are also being recycled to reduce waste - they can be down and recast into different shapes to be reused.
Recycling reduces a product's impact. This can be evaluated using a life cycle , which rates a product based on the different stages of its creation, use and disposal. This can sometimes be hard to quantify, and abbreviated or selective LCAs may be mispresented in order to promote products.