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
- 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.