Lessons from the biosphere for the anthroposphere: Analysis of recycling structures of conservational measures

Abstract

This paper analyzes cyclic and transferring maximal pathways in some natural and human-built process structures to show how the essential features of recycling based conservation are embedded in natural systems, and how these lessons can be implemented in human-built systems, consciously. Having studied an example biosystem and ecosystem, it was found that i) local open transferring routes result in cycles at the system level; ii) the diversified species are built from a restricted pool of fundamental components; iii) assembly and disassembly are coordinated by symmetrical structural patterns; iv) recycling is supported by storage, resulting in average composition. Conscious applications of these features are discussed for the carbon emission-free hydrogen energy cycle; for a published case study on grocery bag recycling and for possible assembly-disassembly logistics of electronic waste reprocessing. The household waste-related example also illustrates how process net structure can be applied for the generation of the respective dynamic model.