[ Produced/Manufactured ]

Primary economic activities include the harvesting, extraction, and/or collection of natural resources.  Fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy, and agriculture generally are considered “produced”.  Mineral and petroleum extraction fit into this group.

Manufacturing, or the secondary economy, uses raw materials for feedstock, combined with enormous amounts of energy, to make new products.

We manufacture millions of things, the list is endless: smart phones, plastic water bottles, solar panels, pens, laptops, eyeglasses, even food is manufactured now.

It’s complex, but also true: the manufacturing industry, which is making millions of products by the millions, has a pretty big impact on the environment.