MATERIALS REIMAGINED

During my visit to Tokyo, I was astounded by the meticulous recycling infrastructure that seemed like a choreographed dance of waste disposal. Residents diligently sorted their recyclables into various categories, showcasing the nation's commitment to environmental responsibility. However, as I delved deeper, I discovered a hidden critique. A local friend expressed concerns about the environmental cost of producing and maintaining such an intricate system. He questioned whether the emphasis on recycling was merely hiding a larger issue: a culture of excessive consumption and production.

Capture from the author's (Christopher Brosse) Instagram page reporting from Tokyo.

This reflection led to a conversation about the future of recycling and materials. As we strolled through the city's clean and vibrant streets, my friend and I were dreaming of a world with less consumerism and a more mindful use of resources. Could we shift our focus from managing waste to minimizing it in the first place? That being the case, what needs to happen to urgently concern ourselves with how we use those materials, with what the materials are? How could we find alternatives that give planetary resources a break?

Humanity´s use of materials has become a significant driver of environmental impact, contributing to resource depletion, habitat destruction, and climate change. At its core, the present economy operates under an incorrect and downright dangerous hypothesis: resources are infinite.

But this is not new: throughout history, materials have played a pivotal role in shaping the course of human civilization. From the discovery of fire and the use of stones as tools in the Stone Age to the development of advanced alloys and polymers in the modern era, the progression of materials technology has been intrinsically linked to human progress. The mastery of materials like bronze and iron marked significant leaps in technological advancement, enabling the construction of more durable and efficient tools and weapons. Yet, overexploitation of materials has also been a catalyst for the downfall of civilizations, such as the Maya, Harappan and Easter Island civilizations. Have we learned much from history, or are we allowing the cultural norm of overconsumption to get the better of us?

Plenty of data is available to illustrate the dangerous “take-make-waste” culture that we have unfortunately embraced:

• We TAKE: It is difficult to estimate how many materials are extracted every year. But according to the Global Resources Outlook [1]: since 1970, the materials employed by the global economy have quadrupled, outpacing the population, which has doubled. And over the past two years, consumption has surged by over 8%, while the reuse of resources has declined from 9.1% to 8.6%, signaling a gap in the response mechanism in circularity. In 2019, World’s consumption of materials hits a record 100bn tonnes a year. [2]

That same year, the world extracted and consumed about 15 billion metric tons of crude oil, mainly used in the transport sector; 50.8 billion metric tons of minerals, mainly used in the building infrastructure; and 3.9 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, mainly used in the energy sector.

• We MAKE: The 2023 Circularity Gap Report [3] found that half of the world's material extraction consists of sand, clay, gravel, and cement employed in construction, in addition to other mined minerals used for fertilizer production. Coal, oil, and gas account for 15%, while metal ores make up 10%. The remaining quarter comprises plants and trees utilized for food and fuel.

The lion’s share of the materials – 40% – is turned into housing. Other major categories include food, transport, healthcare, communications, and consumer goods such as clothes and furniture.

• We DISPOSE AND WASTE: Also according to the Circularity Gap Report, materials that are cycled back into the global economy after the end of their useful life, otherwise known as secondary materials, account for 7.2% of all material inputs into the economy. This means that we are “single-using” materials 91.8% of the time.

Each year, the Earth Overshoot Day marks the day in the calendar by which we have consumed all the resources that Earth can naturally regenerate and absorb. As of 2023, 41 countries reached an overshoot before the first half of the year. [4]

Currently, humanity is using natural resources at a rate 1.75 times faster than the Earth's ecosystems can regenerate. This means that for example, if everyone on Earth would consume like the Canadians, the Americans, the Belgians, or the Finnish (among others), we would have to stop time in March in order to achieve sustainability.

Re-envisioning materials with the help of other tools and principles like the Circular Economy or the regeneration theory [5] can inspire creativity and innovation in design, business models, and technology.

In whatever way, at this moment in time we must first understand at least the basic differences of the common materials we use. At its core, the Butterfly Diagram of Circular Economy can help us understand the two main types of materials circulating in today's economy.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation this diagram illuminates the flows of the circular economy through two main cycles: the technical cycle and the biological cycle. “In the technical cycle, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes such as reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. In the biological cycle, nutrients from biodegradable materials are returned to the Earth to regenerate nature." [6]

Figure credit: Martin Sanchez. Inspired by the Circular economy systems diagram, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2019) [5].

Re-envisioning materials delves into the cyclical nature of raw material consumption in our society and highlights collective opportunities to shift towards a more sustainable paradigm—one centered on the principles of "take-make-regenerate." This segment will examine the following questions:

• How can we optimize the use of raw materials to limit waste and minimize environmental impact and resource consumption?

• Would it be possible for society to be more conscious about the materials we use?

• How can we establish connections between industries to share and reuse materials effectively?

As we embark on this journey, we invite you to join us in re-envisioning materials not merely as commodities, but as valuable and finite planetary resources that require a regenerative approach, contributing to the creation of a more sustainable future for generations ahead.