Finite Resources:
- Definition: Non-renewable materials with limited quantities (takes millions of years
to form)
- Examples: Fossil fuels, rare earth metals (neodymium for magnets), phosphate for
fertilizers
- Impact: 90% of biodiversity loss linked to resource extraction (UNEP 2019)
- Solutions: Urban mining (recovering metals from e-waste), bio-based alternatives
Non-Finite Resources:
- Definition: Renewable materials if managed responsibly
- Examples: Bamboo (grows 1m/day), solar energy (173,000 TW hits Earth continuously)
- Challenges: Overharvesting can make them de facto finite (e.g., deforestation)
- Innovations: Mycelium packaging, algae-based bioplastics
Waste Disposal Impacts:
- Landfills: 2 billion tonnes/year global waste (World Bank), methane emissions
- Ocean Plastic: 5.25 trillion particles circulating (Great Pacific Garbage Patch)
- E-Waste: 57 million tonnes/year (2021), only 17% formally recycled
- Solutions: Circular economy models, extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws
Case Studies:
- Positive: Sweden's 99% waste recycling rate via energy recovery
- Negative: Fast fashion producing 92 million tonnes/year of textile waste
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