ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses two major opportunities for materials conservation—substitution and resource recovery. The recovery and recycling of waste materials represents an important potential means for reducing the nation's materials import vulnerability. Although many approaches to conserving materials have been suggested from time to time, the discussion will be limited to those general approaches that seem most likely to offer the best possibilities for success. Overall United States (US) dependence upon South Africa for key strategic and critical materials is greater than its dependence upon any other nation. Minerals experts consistently urge the federal government to undertake steps that would increase US influence in the developing countries upon which the US is already import dependent, and especially to adopt policies that would encourage US industries to invest in the development of the minerals industries of these and other developing nations.
