A hidden world of materials lies beneath the surface of our daily lives. In 2021, every person in the European Union was responsible for 14.1 tonnes of material consumption 2 .
This is the story of how Europe managed its material footprint and the scientific innovations shaping a more sustainable future.
Imagine a pile of gravel, wood, metal, and oil weighing as much as two adult elephants. This was the 14.1 tonnes of materials that supported the lifestyle of every EU citizen in 2021 2 . Europe's economy, like all modern economies, runs on a massive flow of raw materials extracted from nature.
The "material footprint" measures the total amount of raw materials extracted—both within and outside its borders—to produce the goods and services consumed in the EU 1 . It's a comprehensive yardstick for our environmental impact, revealing the hidden material cost behind our consumption patterns.
In 2021, the EU found itself at a crossroads. The COVID-19 pandemic had caused a dramatic dip in material use in 2020, but 2021 saw a 4% rebound in domestic material consumption compared to the previous year 2 . This bounce-back highlighted a challenging reality: despite ambitious environmental goals, Europe's material consumption remained stubbornly high, exceeding planetary boundaries and sitting above the global average 1 .
The composition of Europe's material diet in 2021 tells a revealing story about its economy and consumption patterns:
Construction materials like gravel, limestone, and gypsum
Food, wood products, paper
Fuel for energy, plastics, chemicals
Source: Eurostat data on domestic material consumption 2
Non-metallic minerals, mostly inert materials like gravel and limestone used in construction, dominated Europe's material consumption. This category grew from 46% of the total footprint in 2010 to 53% in 2021 1 , reflecting ongoing infrastructure and building activities across the continent.
Meanwhile, the share of fossil fuels decreased from 24% in 2010 to 17% in 2023 1 , indicating progress in Europe's decarbonization efforts. The consumption of metals, while making up only 7% of the total, was particularly significant as these materials are crucial for strategic technologies and largely imported, creating supply chain vulnerabilities 1 .
Beneath the EU-wide averages lay dramatic differences between member states. The materials consumed per person ranged from 7 tonnes in the Netherlands to 35 tonnes in Finland in 2021 2 . This 500% variation points to fundamental structural differences in national economies, resource endowments, and possibly efficiency levels.
Highest circularity rate in EU at 34% 5 , suggesting circular economy strategies can significantly reduce primary material demand.
Specialized in timber production, with one of the lowest circular material use rates at 2% 1 .
High consumption of non-metallic minerals (23 tonnes/capita) and low circular material use rate of 1% 1 .
These disparities highlight that the transition to sustainable material management would require tailored approaches for each member state's unique economic structure.
A central piece of Europe's sustainability strategy involves transitioning from a linear "take-make-dispose" model to a circular economy where materials are continuously cycled back into production. In 2021, the EU's circular material use rate reached 11.7%, meaning nearly 12% of material resources came from recycled waste materials 5 .
While this represented progress from 8.3% in 2004, it marked a slight decrease from pre-pandemic levels (12.0% in 2019) 5 .
The circularity performance varied dramatically across different material categories:
circularity rate
circularity rate
circularity rate
The exceptionally low circularity rate for fossil fuels reflects the fundamental challenge of recycling materials that are typically burned for energy. The high rate for metals is encouraging but doesn't fully address supply concerns, as the EU still relies heavily on imports for many critical raw materials 7 .
While 2021 provided a snapshot of Europe's material consumption, ongoing scientific research is developing the innovative materials needed for a sustainable future. One groundbreaking initiative exemplifying this research is the Euro Material Ageing (EMA) experiment, which began its journey to the International Space Station in late 2024 3 .
The EMA experiment involves exposing up to 141 diverse material samples to the harsh conditions of space for periods ranging from 6 to 18 months 6 . These samples include novel metallic glasses, ceramic composites, silicon, diamond-like carbon, carbon fibres, and various plastics 6 .
Potential Applications: Lighter, stronger components for aerospace and transportation
Environmental Resistance Being Tested: Thermal stress resistance, radiation damage
Potential Applications: High-temperature applications, protective coatings
Environmental Resistance Being Tested: Cracking under extreme temperature swings
Potential Applications: Wear-resistant surfaces, optical applications
Environmental Resistance Being Tested: Adhesion in vacuum conditions, UV degradation
Potential Applications: Lightweight vehicles, renewable energy components
Environmental Resistance Being Tested: Embrittlement from atomic oxygen exposure
While the full results from the EMA mission will take time to analyze, the experiment addresses a critical challenge: material degradation in extreme environments. The knowledge gained has implications far beyond space exploration:
Recognizing the strategic importance of sustainable material management, the EU has implemented several key policies. The Critical Raw Materials Act, established alongside the Green Deal Industrial Plan, sets ambitious benchmarks for 2030 7 :
At least 10% of the EU's annual consumption from domestic extraction
At least 40% of the EU's annual consumption from domestic processing
At least 25% of the EU's annual consumption from recycling
No more than 65% of the EU's annual consumption from any single third country
These targets address both supply security and sustainability concerns, particularly for materials like lithium, whose demand is expected to increase twenty-one-fold by 2050 for clean energy technologies 7 .
Simultaneously, the EU continues to implement its Circular Economy Action Plan, which aims to double the Union's circularity rate by 2030—a challenging goal given the modest progress in recent years 4 .
Europe's material story in 2021 was one of both progress and persistent challenges. While the EU had made headway in decoupling economic growth from some resource uses—particularly fossil fuels—its overall material consumption remained at unsustainable levels.
The dramatic variations between member states suggest there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, a combination of technological innovation (as exemplified by the EMA experiment), policy frameworks (like the Critical Raw Materials Act), and continued progress toward circular economy principles will all be essential.
As the European Environment Agency notes, "Major effort is needed to reduce extraction and consumption, by switching to goods and services that require less material" 1 . The materials we choose—how we source them, use them, and reuse them—will fundamentally shape Europe's ability to build a sustainable, resilient, and competitive economy for the future.
The journey from the 14.1 tonnes per person recorded in 2021 to a more sustainable material future continues, with scientific innovation and strategic policy serving as essential guides on this critical path.