National Geographic USA - 03.2020

Dispersed into

the environment

as unrecoverable

waste

67.4

Long-

lasting

material

such as

buildings

and infra-

structure

23.7

Accumulated

global stock

of long-lasting

material

981

Incineration 0.3

Landfill 1.7

Reused

resources

9. 3

Housing

44.8

Communication

2.8

Mobility

11.9

Health care

4

Services

6.1

Consumables

10.7

Nutrition

22.2

Process Produce Provide Societal needs End of use

Water treatment 4

Land application 1.8

Biogasification 1.9

Recycling 1.5

Composting 0.1

STONE

SAND
AND
CLAY

CONSTRUCTION

METAL PRODUCTS

VEHICLES

MACHINES

RETAIL

AND TRADE

WOOD PRODUCTS

METAL ORE

PETROLEUM

NATURAL
GAS

COAL
AND
PEAT

WOOD

ANIMALS

CROPS
AND FIBER

MINERAL PROCESSING

METAL PROCESSING

FUEL PROCESSING

FOOD PROCESSING

WOOD AND PAPER

ELECTRICITY AND HEAT

TRANSPORTATION

Every year we transform more than 100 billion tons of raw material into products.

Less than a quarter becomes buildings, cars, or other long-lasting things. Less

than 10 percent cycles back into the economy. The circular economy movement

aims to increase that number and reduce the enormous amount of waste.

NGM STAFF. SOURCE: CIRCLE ECONOMY

To the dump

Two-thirds of the

material flowing

through the economy,

67.4 billion tons in

2015, gets emitted as

pollution—the carbon

from fossil fuels, for

example—or other-

wise scattered or

disposed of as waste.