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Resources transition

Nothing less than a new economic model: sustainable resource extraction, use and management
© plainpicture / Daniel Ingold

© plainpicture / Daniel Ingold

Whether it’s gravel, rare earths, sand or copper – we use excessive quantities of raw materials in our buildings, cars and smartphones, often without considering that they are finite resources or thinking about the consequences of mining them. Germany depends on imports for its supply of metals and fossil fuels. However, resource extraction and use have numerous adverse impacts on people and the environment –

  • from inadequate health and safety standards for workers in many of the producing countries
  • to deforestation and
  • the pollution or even poisoning of soil and water.

The Oeko-Institut is working towards a complete transformation of the way we use resources. The aim is the sustainable extraction, use and recycling of raw materials. This includes phasing out the use of resources that cannot be recycled. Recycling has a key role to play in reducing consumption and conserving resources: in a genuine circular (closed loop) economy, end-of-life (EOL) products are treated not as waste but as resources. The anthropogenic material stock – the pool of raw materials created by human activity – is another potential source of secondary raw materials that must be utilised. Experts at the Oeko-Institut are also working on European waste and resource policy and on international mining.

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  • Civilisation’s gold – the potential of urban mining

    This figure explains the urban mining cycle: the anthropogenic material stock – created by human activity – is the source of raw materials for future use. Waste products from this stock, such as cutlery, cables and passenger cars, are scrapped and taken to recycling plants. The non-recyclable components are sent to landfill, while the rest of the waste is recycled, with recovery of raw materials and energy. The secondary raw materials that are recovered can be processed into new products and are fed back into the anthropogenic material stock. At present, large quantities of new (i.e. newly extracted) primary raw materials are entering the production process. In future, a substantial proportion of such materials will come from the anthropogenic material stock itself.<br> Further information can be found in the blog article Civilisation’s gold: https://blog.oeko.de/civilisations-gold-first-ever-mapping-of-the-urban-mining-potential-to-2040/

    Civilisation’s gold – the potential of urban mining

    Image09/29/2022
    This figure explains the urban mining cycle: the anthropogenic material stock – created by human activity – is the source of raw materials for future use.
    Icon/ui/downloadDownload
  • The anthropogenic metals stock is growing

    This figure illustrates the anthropogenic metals stock. It is fed by nine sectors: technical goods in building construction, mobile goods in buildings (excluding electrical appliances), mobile goods in buildings (electrical appliances), power generation plants, power grids, vehicles, transport infrastructure, industrial plants, and machines. Researchers from the Oeko-Institut have now conducted the first-ever mapping of this stock, with a focus on the following metals: aluminium (non-ferrous metal); magnesium (non-ferrous metal); zinc (non-ferrous metal); tin (non-ferrous metal); stainless steel (non-ferrous metal); brass (alloy); neodymium-iron-boron magnetic materials / rare earths (alloy). As the stock of all these metals is set to increase substantially by 2040, it can serve as a source of raw materials in future.
    Further information can be found in the blog article Civilisation’s gold: https://blog.oeko.de/civilisations-gold-first-ever-mapping-of-the-urban-mining-potential-to-2040/

    The anthropogenic metals stock is growing

    Image09/29/2022
    This figure illustrates the anthropogenic metals stock. It is fed by nine sectors: technical goods in building construction, mobile goods in buildings (excluding electrical appliances), mobile goods in buildings (electrical appliances), power generation plants, power grids, vehicles, transport infrastructure, industrial plants, and machines.
    Icon/ui/downloadDownload
  • Urban mining – a future source of raw materials

    This figure traces the growth of the various metals in the anthropogenic metals stock – which is created by human activity – to 2040. The stock of all the metals investigated (aluminium (non-ferrous metal); magnesium (non-ferrous metal); zinc (non-ferrous metal); tin (non-ferrous metal); stainless steel (non-ferrous metal); brass (alloy); neodymium-iron-boron magnetic materials / rare earths (alloy)) is expected to increase substantially and will thus serve as a good source of raw materials in future.
    Further information can be found in the blog article Civilisation’s gold: First-ever mapping of the urban mining potential to 2040: https://blog.oeko.de/civilisations-gold-first-ever-mapping-of-the-urban-mining-potential-to-2040/

    Urban mining – a future source of raw materials

    Image09/29/2022
    This figure traces the growth of the various metals in the anthropogenic metals stock – which is created by human activity – to 2040.
    Icon/ui/downloadDownload

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