Nature, in so many ways, is an amazing recycling machine. Think of how organic materials naturally decompose and become nutrients for the soil. Or perhaps, how water aeration works as a power-free wastewater treatment system for residential septic systems, so people can save energy while having the ability to treat waste water in an efficient and eco-friendly manner.
Nature, indeed, has given us so much and can still give us a lot of things that we need to survive as a species. Here are five ways by which nature acts as a sustainable recycling giant:
Decomposition
Decompositionis the process by which nature, through bacteria and other microorganisms, breaks down organic or biodegradable matter and recycles them into the earth where they serve as nutrients to start the life process anew.
Plants, animals, trees, and humans undergo this natural process. Without decomposition, everything that has died will not break down and the earth will be filled with organic matter and waste.
The hermit crab’s new clothes
Well, many of us are rooting for the Emperor and his new clothes, but we have to concede that he’s no match to our little crustacean friend: thehermitcrab. This creature takes nature’s recycling to a different level on its own. When it has outgrown its old protective shell, it wanders on the beach trying to find abandoned spiralled snail shells.
The hermit crab will then push itself into the shell and claim it as its own. As easy as that, it has a new crib.
Let there be a sponge
Coral reefs are the marine environment’s awesome landscaping and fish sanctuaries. At first, scientists were wondering how corals could afford to thrive in areas where nutrients are scarce. It turns out they have a friend who helps them in times of need: the lowly sponge.
Sponges apparently take in nitrogen and carbon present in the water and convert them into choanocytes, which they then release into the water for other marine creatures to feed on. It’s an astonishing symbiotic relationship, to say the least.
Pimp my crib: the Bowerbird edition
Bowerbirds are Australasian birds that recycle everything from colored plastics to shells. They turn these scrap materials into an attractive den that catches the attention of females. If the conditions are right, the couple would mate and build a family.
It’s a win-win scenario for a creative bird who knows how to turn trash into gold. It’s more like nature’s own version ofPimp My RideandMTV Cribsrolled into one.
Nature’s own wastewater treatment system
For thousands of years, nature has been breaking down and decomposing waste materials contained in water as a form of wastewater treatment. Oxygen is the element that aids in dissolving solids in water so that it becomes safer for reuse.
These days, there are companies that harness such a natural process by pumping in more oxygen into the water to improve its treatment capacity. This method is able to treat wastewater to advanced secondary levels that make it much safer for use. With these examples, it’s easy to see how awesome nature is as a recycling marvel and how much we can learn from it.