▁pul ping , ▁processing , ▁and ▁transport ing ▁vir gin ▁trees . ▁When ▁less ▁rec yc led ▁paper ▁is ▁used , ▁additional ▁energy ▁is ▁needed ▁to ▁create ▁and ▁maintain ▁far med ▁for ests ▁until ▁these ▁for ests ▁are ▁as ▁self - s ust ain able ▁as ▁vir gin ▁for ests . ▁ ▁Other ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁rec y cling ▁in ▁itself ▁is ▁in efficient ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁" dec ou pling " ▁of ▁economic ▁development ▁from ▁the ▁de ple tion ▁of ▁non - ren ew able ▁raw ▁materials ▁that ▁is ▁necessary ▁for ▁sust ain able ▁development . ▁The ▁international ▁transport ation ▁or ▁rec ycle ▁material ▁flows ▁through ▁"...   d ifferent ▁trade ▁networks ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁countries ▁result ▁in ▁different ▁flows , ▁decay ▁rates , ▁and ▁potential ▁rec y cling ▁returns ". ▁As ▁global ▁consumption ▁of ▁a ▁natural ▁resources ▁grows , ▁their ▁de ple tion ▁is ▁in ev itable . ▁The ▁best ▁rec y cling ▁can ▁do ▁is ▁to ▁delay ; ▁complete ▁closure ▁of ▁material ▁loops ▁to ▁achieve ▁ 1 0 0 ▁percent ▁rec y cling ▁of ▁non ren ew ables ▁is ▁impossible ▁as ▁micro - trace ▁materials ▁diss ip ate ▁into ▁the ▁environment ▁causing ▁severe ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁planet ' s ▁e cos ystem s . ▁Histor ically , ▁this ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁met abol ic ▁r ift ▁by ▁Karl ▁Marx , ▁who ▁identified ▁the ▁une qual ▁exchange ▁rate ▁between ▁energy ▁and ▁nut ri ents ▁flow ing ▁from ▁rural ▁areas ▁to ▁feed ▁urban ▁cities ▁that ▁create ▁eff lu ent ▁was