So say we needed to conserve copper so what could we do to do so and still make stuff that involves copper.
Well... We could outlaw any use of copper for anything other than what requires copper. But there is a problem with exactly how you define what requires copper. For instance, silver conducts heat and electricity better than copper, lots of metals are more dense or less dense than copper, lots of metals are more corrosion resistant than copper, lots of metals for alloys that melt at about the same temperatures as copper alloys, lots of metals are about as ductile and as strong as copper. In fact, I can not think of any application where copper is used that we could not use a different metal or a non-copper alloy (assuming you do not care how much it costs to use something other than copper). And... the premise of your question is a little warped... Except for very few tiny exceptions, all the copper that has ever been on this planet is still on this planet. And... most of the copper that is used everyday is made using some amount of recycled copper, sometimes using 100% recycled copper.
