returns to Earth every year, burning up in the atmosphere or crashing into the ocean.
Not only is this polluting, it's wasteful.
Humanity is going back to the Moon. Governments and companies are planning permanent bases there as soon as 2030. Structures require tons of materials for initial construction and upkeep.
Launching construction and maintenance materials to the Moon is costly. It makes sense to have a repository of materials already there to augment in-situ efforts.
Let's capture space junk and recycle it on the Moon.
Leolabs.org, Low Earth Orbit Visualization
University of Texas, Astria space debris tracking
University of Michigan, Tracking Undetectable Space Junk