Copper and aluminum mines require a big terrain to function, which leads to mass deforestation and intense excavation, dislocating many animals. They use a lot of water in the processes of refining and the residue (anything that is not the metal) can contaminate nearby bodies of water and the soil around the mine. They also cause massive amounts of pollution, from vehicles, road construction and from the mining of the metal itself, which can intoxicate humans.

The mining of metal can cause accidents too. According to the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, a copper mine in China suffered an accident in May 2023.

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/environmental-impact-of-steel-production

https://federalmetals.ca/how-does-copper-mining-affect-the-environment/#:~:text=Excavating%20boulders%20from%20deep%20underground,chemicals%20that%20pollute%20the%20air.

The process of transporting these microwaves emits sulfur dioxide, a highly toxic gas, from diesel generators, trucks and other equipment.

Water disposed after the process of consuming this coal is also highly toxic and contains a number of carcinogenic organic compounds (that is, causes cancer), as well as cyanide, sulfides, ammonium and ammonia.

Source: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/environmental-impact-of-steel-production

In this stage, the concept of demand is really important. It rules the whole process and, if the demand is high, it boosts up the extraction, transformation and transportation. As in the video "The Story of Stuff", it is the golden arrow.

The process of making glass involves melting the materials together, which takes up to 75% of the process' entire energy consumption. It also emits loads of CO2, since the melting furnace has to be heated to 1,500 Cº.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230427-glass-or-plastic-which-is-better-for-the-environment

Oil extraction can have a lot of environmental impacts, from oil spills, to damaged biodiversity, to disturbed ecosystems. It can contaminate the oceans, the ground, forests and pollute it all.

https://plasticseurope.org/plastics-explained/how-plastics-are-made/

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/oil-and-the-environment.php#:~:text=Exploring%20and%20drilling%20for%20oil,clearing%20an%20area%20of%20vegetation.

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/7-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-environment

Ground transportation involves the use of trains and trucks, which also burn fuels to move, such as diesel, ethanol and gasoline. Air transportation involves planes, which, again, burn fuel to move.

All of these methods of transportation, in larger scales, emit high amount of CO2 into the atmosphere, contributing to the global pollution and climate change.

https://manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/saving-the-planet-one-microwave-at-a-time/

However, if it's not recycled, it can lead to problems. Glass takes roughly 4,000 years to decompose naturally, and if used only once, can take up to a milllion years.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230427-glass-or-plastic-which-is-better-for-the-environment

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416622000201

Only 9% of plastic in the world is recycled, and the 91% that isn't gets dumped and will stay dumped for about 450 years.

The worst part is that the plastic that goes to the ocean is eaten by animals, who mistaken it for food. Really tiny pieces of the plastic, called microplastics, can detach and enter an organism, poisoning it and increasing its mortality. And we humans already live with it: microplastics have been found in fish and other seafood, and are likely to be even in land-based meat, like beef or chicken.

https://chariotenergy.com/blog/how-long-until-plastic-decomposes/

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution?insight=only-a-small-share-of-plastic-gets-recycled#key-insights

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/01/12/microplastics-fish-chicken-tofu-protein/

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/advantages-of-recycling-steel

https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/mining/advantages-of-recycling-steel

Also, electronic waste, or e-waste, can include toxic materials, such as lead, cadmium and beryllium, which through contact with UV radiation or physical corroding, can break free and contaminate the soil, water and air.

https://earth.org/what-is-e-waste-recycling/