Why it is necessary to carefully maintain a resource even if it is renewable?

Even if the resource itself is renewable, the harvesting, transportation, and processing of the resource use lots of energy, mainly coming from non-renewable fossil fuels and natural gasses. Recycled material does not need to harvested and often has to be transported far shorter distances, consuming much less fuel. It also aids the stability of an environment: if paper is being recycled from old newspapers, it means that many fewer forests are losing trees, which upsets the natural ecological balance even when carefully and selectively harvested.