Image Description: Simplified Consumption Cycle

1. Nature (left) provides energy (red arrow) and raw materials (green arrow) to industry (center).
2. Industry converts them into materials and products (gray arrow) and forms of energy, which are converted into waste, including small amounts used by people.
3. Some of the waste products and materials is eventually returned to Nature (gray arrow), which converts some of it into materials that can be used in step 1.