Virgin raw materials refer to natural resources or materials that are in their original, unprocessed state and have not been used or altered in any way. These materials are extracted directly from natural sources, such as oil, minerals, or wood, and are used to produce new products. Unlike recycled materials, virgin raw materials are sourced fresh from nature and usually undergo industrial processing to create products such as plastics, metals, or paper. The use of virgin materials can impact the environment due to the extraction processes, but they often have more consistent quality compared to recycled alternatives.