From the article:
“All the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles, which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut and aerospace engineer with Kyoto University, warned recently. “Eventually, it will affect the environment of the Earth.”
You're both in luck! Someone else linked to an article that breaks down how it could work in reality: https://startrek.website/comment/9430643