How Mother Nature Applies Upcycling?
Upcycling is the same as repurposing old materials, but it results in the creation of something more valuable or of greater quality. Plastic bottle materials may be used to produce new shoes, and recycled wood can be used to make high-quality furniture, as examples of upcycling. Upcycling aims to reduce waste while also increasing resource efficiency.
Upcycling is the act of providing a second life and new function to something that is no longer in use, results in the final product that is more useful, valuable, and attractive than it was before. Upcycling fundamentally aids in the achievement of two of the three “R’s” of recycling: REDUCE and REUSE. It helps you reduce landfill waste by repurposing the product you were about to discard, giving it a second life without the need to “degrade” it.
Earth had dense forests in low-lying wetland areas about 300 years ago. They were covered in sand and mud as the tree died. More trees sprouted from the sand and mud. When these died, they were covered as well. Earthquakes and volcanoes have been known to bury entire forests deep within the earth. The high temperature and pressure inside the Earth gradually converted the buried vegetation into coal. Coal is primarily composed of carbon. As a result of carbonization, Mother Nature is constantly working to ensure its own sustainability.
Silk is a protein fiber produced by silkworms and is the only natural product that is a filament fiber. The caterpillar or silkworm spins the cocoon inside which the silk moth develops. The cocoons are kept in the sun, boiled, or exposed to steam. Special machines separate the silk fibers from the cocoon. This is referred to as reeling the silk. Silkworms play an important role in natural upcycling in this way.
Little organisms that can be found all over the world but cannot be seen with the naked eye are also playing an important role in nature upcycling. These bacteria are responsible for breaking down lactose to make yoghurt and sugar to make beer. Researchers from Northwestern University and LanzaTech have now used bacteria to break down waste carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce valuable industrial chemicals.
Nature has its own recycling system, which is comprised of a collection of organisms known as decomposers. Decomposers eat dead plant materials like leaf litter and wood, as well as animal carcasses and faeces. As Earth’s cleanup staff, they provide a crucial service. Dead leaves, insects, and animals would build up everywhere if decomposers didn’t exist.
More importantly, decomposers make essential nutrients available to the primary producers of an ecosystem, which are typically plants and algae. Decomposers break down complex organic materials into simpler substances such as water and carbon dioxide, as well as simple nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium compounds. All of these elements are substances that plants require in order to grow.
Plants naturally recycle the heat emitted by the sun. When sunlight strikes a plant, specialized proteins known as light-harvesting complexes absorb photons of light energy with the help of pigments like chlorophyll. These photons generate sugar molecules, which store the energy for later use. As a result, it uses sunlight to provide for itself. Not only do certain houseplants provide food, but they also act as natural coolants, retaining heat and releasing oxygen to reduce the temperature of the surrounding air. As a result, it absorbs excess heat from the sun and recycles it, transforming itself into the most important component of nature’s ecosystem.
So we can say that not only humans but Mother Nature also, is constantly upcycling her resources to make herself better for future generations.
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