Circular Material Use Rate

The circular material use rate (CMUR) refers to the share of the total amount of material used in the economy that comes from recycled waste (see more details in the methodology section below). Although the EU’s CMUR has increased slightly in recent years, from 10.8% in 2010 to 11.8% in 2023, it is still considered low. This increasing trend is explained mainly by increases in the amount of waste recycled while the domestic material consumption has remained rather stable, except for a drop in 2023. Non-metallic minerals account for around half of the total material consumption and that is where the largest potential for change of the CMUR lies.

The CMURs for the various material groups differ significantly, being 25% for metal ores in 2023 and only 3% for fossil fuels. This reflects the different natures of the materials and how they are used. For instance, metals are technically easier and economically more attractive to recycle and feed back into the economy, while fossil fuels are mostly burned and therefore cannot be recycled. The CMURs increased for all material groups between 2010 and 2023, although the CMUR for metal ores fluctuated substantially during the period.

For the CMUR to increase, Europe needs to recycle more or use less material, or both. However, for substantial gains to be achieved in the CMUR, recycling alone is not enough. It needs to be combined with reduced material use. Reducing the use of heavier material groups like non-metallic minerals has a greater potential for increasing the CMUR. However, since material extraction has different environmental impacts, measures should also focus on reducing the consumption of metals and fossil energy materials and increasing the sustainability of biomass production in view of reducing environmental pressures.

Circular economy strategies such as the recently adopted Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, by aiming to retain the value and extend the life of products, can reduce resource consumption and consequently reduce the impacts on the environment and climate.

The EU’s circular economy action plan aims to reduce pressure on natural resources and states that the EU needs to double its circular material use rate in the coming decade. Increasing the circular use of materials — either by increasing the amount of recycled waste or decreasing the amount of material used or both— would reduce the amount of primary material extracted for production and the associated negative impacts on the environment and climate. It would also reduce EU’s reliance on primary resources, including imported materials, increasing the EU’s strategic autonomy.