The natural resources found in Puerto Rico, which include a variety of habitats such as lakes, beaches, dry forests, and rainforests, are important to the island’s economic strategy. Puerto Rico has had many Hurricanes, but despite this, the island maintains a renewable energy system that was established before fossil fuels were discovered and was deemed stable after Hurricane Maria forced its residents to be without power (Kuhl et al., 2024). Nevertheless, Puerto Rico’s agriculture is in high demand because of the island’s varied soil types, which produce a variety of crops of tropical fruits that are primarily exported to the United States due to its heavy rainfalls, which range from 35 inches in the southern region to 80 inches in the northern region (Missick, 2001). Furthermore, despite being categorized as an endangered species, Puerto Rico’s cactus is making a comeback. The Culebra island cactus, also known as “Leptocereus grantianus,” is a spineless cactus, agricultural, rural, urban, and tourist development that has harmed its survival. However, thanks to the Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Caribbean National Wildlife Refuge, the cactuses have been rescued and conserved for future resources (Castro & Padron, 2005). The natural resources found in Puerto Rico can improve their economic standing internationally.
The natural resources found in Puerto Rico reflect the recycled textile materials that Puerto Rico is trying to sell among the Caribbean Islands. Puerto Rico’s efforts to maintain a stable energy system continue growing and additionally, Ford made a collective donation of $46,000 to cover for the sustainability and conservation of natural resources found in Puerto Rico and in future benefits for trading amongst neighboring Caribbean Islands (Ford boosts sustainability with $46,000 donation to community projects in Puerto Rico, 2024). The partnership of Invest Puerto Rico which is the largest business organization in the island of Puerto Rico and Newlab where its focus is based on renewable inventions using deep technology converted renewable materials such as Sargassum, waste plastics, and up to 18,000 end-of-life tires that were transformed into new valuable resources that can be used for imports with neighboring Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Florida (Invest Puerto Rico Partners with Newlab to Turn Waste into Products, 2023). In addition to promoting sustainability, Cemex Puerto Rico had a joint collaboration with Puerto Rican fashion designer Tania Andrea Torres by building a new project named “Future in Action” using about 1,900 reused textiles from used uniforms from employees at Cemex and as a result promoting sustainability for future investors and inspiring other designers the importance of sustainability and the benefits of trading within the Caribbean Islands (From cement to sustainable fashion: Cemex announces textile recycling project, 2024). To conclude, The natural resources that were found in Puerto Rico such as the renewable energy system can affect the textile sustainable materials that are sold in the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Florida if there is fluctuation.
