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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Improving Resource Use Efficiency
Our modern world relies heavily on rocks and minerals. From the buildings we live in to the smartphones we use daily, these resources are essential. However, they are also finite - once we use them up, they're gone for millions of years. This is why improving how efficiently we use these resources is so important.
Key Definitions:
Rocks and minerals are non-renewable resources that take millions of years to form. Current consumption rates are unsustainable, with some estimates suggesting certain minerals could be depleted within decades. Improving efficiency helps extend the lifespan of these resources and reduces environmental damage from mining.
The world's population continues to grow, with increasing demands for technology, infrastructure and consumer goods. This puts enormous pressure on mineral resources. Countries without domestic supplies often depend on imports, making resource efficiency a matter of economic security as well as environmental sustainability.
One of the most effective ways to improve resource efficiency is to reduce waste throughout the entire lifecycle of mineral resources - from extraction to processing, manufacturing, use and disposal.
Traditional mining operations often extract only a small percentage of the valuable minerals, leaving behind significant waste. Modern techniques can dramatically improve this efficiency:
Using advanced geological modelling and targeted extraction techniques to focus only on high-grade ore areas, reducing unnecessary excavation.
Modern separation and concentration technologies can extract more minerals from the same amount of ore, reducing waste and improving yield.
Reprocessing old mine tailings and waste rock using new technologies to extract valuable minerals that were previously overlooked.
Recycling is a crucial strategy for improving resource efficiency. Many minerals can be recovered from products at the end of their useful life and reused in new applications.
Electronic waste contains valuable minerals like gold, silver, copper and rare earth elements. One tonne of mobile phones contains more gold than one tonne of gold ore! Proper e-waste recycling can recover these minerals and prevent them from ending up in landfills. The UK currently recycles about 45% of its e-waste, but this could be improved significantly.
Construction and demolition waste makes up about one-third of all waste in the UK. Crushed concrete can be reused as aggregate for new concrete, reducing the need for virgin materials. Bricks, tiles and stone can often be cleaned and reused directly. Some companies now specialise in "urban mining" - recovering materials from demolished buildings.
Japan has limited natural mineral resources but a high consumption of electronics. The country has developed advanced "urban mining" techniques to recover minerals from discarded products. One Japanese company can extract 150kg of gold from 1 tonne of mobile phone circuit boards - compared to just 5g from 1 tonne of ore! Japan now recovers more minerals through recycling than some countries mine from the ground. This approach has reduced Japan's dependence on imported minerals and created a new industry with thousands of jobs.
Improving resource efficiency starts at the design stage. Products can be designed to use fewer minerals, last longer and be easier to recycle at the end of their life.
These principles help maximise the value we get from mineral resources:
Finding alternatives to scarce mineral resources is another important strategy for improving resource efficiency.
Some mineral resources can be replaced with renewable, plant-based alternatives. For example, timber can replace steel in some construction applications and plant-based plastics can replace petroleum-based ones. These alternatives often have lower environmental impacts and are renewable.
Advanced materials science is creating new materials with specific properties that can replace traditional minerals. For example, carbon fibre can replace metals in many applications and synthetic diamonds can replace natural ones for industrial uses.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an engineered wood product that can replace concrete and steel in buildings up to 18 storeys high. The Dalston Works building in London is the world's largest CLT building. Using timber instead of concrete and steel reduced the carbon footprint by 2,400 tonnes and the building weighs just one-fifth of a concrete equivalent. The lightweight nature meant foundations could be smaller, using fewer mineral resources. The timber also stores carbon, making the building carbon-negative. CLT buildings can be constructed faster and create less waste than traditional methods.
Improving resource efficiency isn't just good for the environment - it makes economic sense too. Companies that use resources more efficiently often enjoy significant cost savings and competitive advantages.
Businesses that improve their resource efficiency can:
As technology advances and awareness of sustainability issues grows, new approaches to resource efficiency continue to emerge.
Digital technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things are helping track materials through their lifecycle, optimise processing and connect waste generators with potential users of those materials. For example, some construction companies now use apps to find nearby projects that can use their excess materials rather than sending them to landfill.
Governments around the world are introducing policies to encourage resource efficiency. These include landfill taxes, extended producer responsibility schemes (where manufacturers are responsible for products at the end of their life) and bans on sending certain materials to landfill. The UK's Resources and Waste Strategy aims to double resource productivity by 2050.
Improving resource use efficiency for rocks and minerals is essential for sustainable development. By reducing waste, recycling materials, designing more efficient products, finding alternative materials and embracing new technologies, we can make our finite mineral resources last much longer while reducing environmental impacts.
The transition to more efficient resource use requires action at all levels - from individual consumers making sustainable choices to companies redesigning their products and processes and governments creating supportive policies. The good news is that this transition offers significant environmental and economic benefits, making it a win-win approach to sustainability.
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