Avoiding Waste

Devarim 20:19

When in your war against a city you have to besiege it for a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its fruit trees, wielding an ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.

דברים כ:יט
כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת
Sefer Hahinukh 529

The purpose of this mitzvah [bal tashchit] is to teach us to love that which is good and worthwhile and to cling to it, so that good becomes a part of us and we will avoid all that is evil and destructive. This is the way of the righteous and those who improve society, who love peace and rejoice in the good in people and bring them close to Torah: that nothing, not even a grain of mustard, should be lost to the world, that they should regret any loss or destruction that they see, and if possible they will prevent any destruction
that they can.

ספר החינוּךְ תקכט
שֹׁרֶשׁ הַמִצְוָה יָדוּעַ שֶׁהוּא כְּדֵי לְלַמֵד נַפְשֵׁנוּ לֶאֱהֹב הַטוֹב וְהַתּוֹעֶלֶת וּלְהִדָבֵק בּוֹ, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ, תִּדְבַּק בָּנוּ הַטוֹבָה וְנַרְחִק מִכָּל דָבָר רַע וּמִכָּל דְבָר הַשְׁחָתָה. וְזֶהוּ הַחֳסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה -- אוֹהֲבִים שָׁלוֹם וּשְׂמֵחִים בְּטוּב הַבְּרִיוֹת וּמְקָרְבִים אוֹתָן לַתּוֹרָה, וְלֹא יְאַבְּדוּ אֲפִלוּ גַרְגֵר שֶׁל חַרְדָל בָּעוֹלָם, וְיֵצַר עֲלֵיהֶם בְּכָל אֲבַדוֹן וְהַשְׁחָתָה שֶׁיִרְאוּ. וְאִם יוּכְלוּ לְהַצִיל -- יַצִילוּ כָּל דָבָר מֵהַשְׁחִית בְּכָל כֹּחַם
בַּל תַּשְׁחִית
Bal Tashchit

We are tenants on God’s earth with responsibilities to and for the environment, and partners with God in the creation of the world and in its maintenance.