Enviromental

Conservation

Context

Environmental conservation, especially regarding recycling, remains a top priority for numerous reasons, including its impact on waste management and pollutant emission, resource use, energy consumption, biodiversity preservation, and health. Incorporating recycling as part of waste management allows the repurposing of discarded materials, reducing the amount of waste in landfills, and further streamlining space allocation in waste management without increasing air pollutant emissions from incineration, or ocean waste. In addition, clearing landfills from recycling contributes to reduced “landfill gas,” which accounts for 14.4% of global carbon emissions (United States Environmental Protection Agency). On the other hand, the production of goods from recycled materials enables manufacturers to draw from pre-existing resources without having to extract raw materials, not only emphasizing the responsible utilization of natural resources but also reducing energy consumption from treating raw materials. Lastly, environmental conservation draws its importance from the impact of pollutants and ocean waste on the ecosystem and human health. Recycling serves as a necessity to combat the current trends of biodiversity decline, where 100,000 marine species and 1 million seabirds die from waste consumption and entanglement, reducing the spillover of waste to natural habitats (WasteTrade). The detrimental effects of waste on animal health further impact humans as consumers of said animals, demonstrating recycling as a priority for the preservation of human health.

Development

As the importance of environmental conservation gains increased international acknowledgment, advanced recycling technologies driven by corporate investments have complemented governmental policies targeted toward recycling. Large corporations have made commitments in the form of investments to recycling and environmental conservation, with the Ingka group’s investment of 1 billion USD in recycling firms as a prime example (Reid). The financial incentives serve as a primary driver of increased focus on recycling technology development, differentiating from traditional recycling through the incorporation of artificial intelligence and complex chemical processes. While the employment of AI camera recognition systems in the identification and sorting of different types of recyclable materials with high accuracy, improving the efficiency of the recycling process and reducing contamination in the recycling stream, advancements in nanotechnology have allowed scientists to break down materials on a molecular level, removing contaminants to increase the purity and recyclability of preexisting materials. These technologies serve as considerable support for local recycling frameworks, which have been restructured in response to the increased spotlight on environmental conservation. The Taiwanese government, for example, has announced 14 categories for recycling, a number which has been set after several increases since 1997 (Ministry of Environment). The accumulation of aforementioned efforts has prompted the increase of recycling from 7% of waste in 1960 to 

35%

in 2025, reflecting the increased recognition of environmental conservation and the potential for 
future development in regards to increasing accessibility of advanced recycling technologies (Silbiger).

Business

Opportuni​​ties

With a current value of -

65.40 billion usd

and a projected value of 109.61 billion USD in 2034, the recycling industry’s growth reflects the growing business opportunities from environmental conservation. ​Business opportunities stem from a variety of sources, including recyclable material collection, material processing, and technology development (Shivarkar). Notably, recyclable material collecting companies such as the Remondis group acquire their material internationally, setting up local branches to gain deeper insight into local geography and resources, while offering tailored services taking into account the aforementioned services. While the materials in small quantities can be acquired for low prices, the global market for the recyclable resources itself stands at 165,190 USD in 2023, with up to 15-20 million collectors internationally (Verified Market Research).

Conversely, more companies make a profit from processing recyclable materials into new products. The growth of these companies, characterized by increased creativity in the resources used and products offered, serves as an essential component to increasing job opportunities in design, material processing and purification, and potentially marketing the new products. On the other hand, recycling technology development has also opened new opportunities for STEM engineers and companies with larger capital, allowing investment in technological development with a primary focus on material purification or recycling methods. Furthermore, the incorporation of AI in recycling technologies allows the recycling industry to access the larger AI market, generating larger business opportunities.

Contribution

The continuation of current developments in recycling and environmental conservation hinges on the proactive contributions of both companies and individuals, as businesses adopt innovative recycling technologies and sustainable practices while individuals embrace.....

Corporations involving the production of products involving highly recyclable materials can look into incorporating recycled materials in production lines, seeking cooperation with recycling-oriented businesses to improve sustainability practices.

In addition, companies with heavier capital could consider investments in recycling industries, as incentivized by the growth of said industries and high-profit potential, alongside its incentives for increased focus on recycling. The growth of recycling industries may also prompt the establishment of public-private partnerships, enabling national and international development with alignment to local dynamics and geography while supporting local businesses. As individuals, contributions to recycling cumulate from collective efforts in waste segregation, avoidance of overconsumption, and proactive participation in local recycling systems. Altogether, the collaborative efforts between individuals, corporations, and the public sector could incentivize further development of recycling, hence contributing to environmental conservation.

Impact

on society

While recycling poses challenges in certain areas of economic viability and export dependencies, recycling as a method of environmental conservation presents an overall positive aspect to society. In particular,​  the clearing of landfills and reduction in landfill gas release, where increased recycling of glass has cleared considerable space in landfills, reducing the emission of one ton of CO2 from landfill gas for every six tons of recycled glass (Glass Packaging Institute). Recycling has also limited the need for raw materials processing, especially when regarding decomposable materials.

Primary Examples

and

paper

glass

where the recycling of glass has cut back the extraction of raw materials including 1,300 pounds of sand, 380 pounds of limestone, 160 pounds of feldspar, and 410 pounds of soda ash, while the recycling of up to 91.4% of cardboard has led to the extraction of wood from 17 fewer trees for each ton of paper recycled (St. Charles County). However, for some industries such as glass recycling, little profit can be made from collecting and selling recycled materials in itself, underscoring the lack of profit incentive as a downside and the necessity of a circular economy. In addition, the export dependency of developed countries to developing countries results in the accumulation of recyclable materials in developing countries, unevenly distributing the burden of recycling, as developing countries often lack proper infrastructure to limit pollution. Nevertheless, the integration of the circular economy with recycling could allow profit generation and global distribution of recycled products, mitigating the harms of current recycling practices while preserving the benefits.