044 | NON-RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS

non-renewable raw materials

The current rates of exploitation of non-renewable raw materials are environmentally disastrous. Environmental pollution and destruction of ecosystems result from mining, quarrying and the dispersal of minerals and chemicals in the natural environment. Furthermore, access to these resources is extremely unequal. Some 20 per cent of the global population consume more than 80 per cent of these natural resources. The developed countries are principally responsible for the resultant depletion of resources and emissions of pollution and toxic and other wastes.

limiting matter flow

Sustainable use of non-renewable raw materials implies that global flows of materials have to be limited according to their environmental impact. For materials use there are rough estimates that the global matter flow should be reduced by 50 per cent. Fewer physical inputs into the world economy can be expected to result in reductions in the quantities of waste generated, including toxic wastes.

According to the equity principle the reduced amount of materials used must be distributed equitably on a global scale. This implies a desirable proportionate reduction for the industrialised countries for the different resources of between 80 per cent and 92 per cent. This study has assessed environmental space in terms of a small range of important and representative non-renewable raw materials. Table 2 (see over) shows actual use, environmental space, the required reduction and interim targets. In general, the ultimate reduction required is between 80 and 90 per cent.

This implies that efficiency of resource use for the production and consumption of goods and services must increase by a factor of 5 to 10 times. An eco-efficiency revolution is therefore required. It is also possible. Recent design studies show for a range of products that, in many cases, one can provide the same high quality services with a 5 or even 10 times smaller amount of energy and materials through the deliberate redesign of machines and products. Reducing materials use is an essential step towards sustainability but is not implemented easily and quickly. Such 'dematerialisation' requires a process of structural change that will take some decades. Before concrete results can be obtained a process of rethinking, planning, constructing and applying new processes and equipment must occur. However, it should be feasible to achieve all the 'dematerialisation' targets between 2030 and 2050. Targets for 2010 have been defined simply as 25 per cent of the total reduction needed.


Resource	Present use per cap.p.a	Env. Space per cap p.a.	Change needed (%)	Target 2010 per cap.p.a.	Target 2010 (%)
Raw materials
Cement (1)	536 kg	80 kg	85 %	423 kg	21 %
Pig iron (2)	273 kg	36 kg	87 %	213 kg	22 %
Aluminium (3)	12 kg	1.2 kg	90 %	9.2 kg	23 %
Chlorine (1)	23 kg	0 kg	100 % (4)	17.2 kg	25 %

1 Production
2 Since recycling rates for steel are high (up to 40 per cent) the calculation of the amount of raw material consumption for steel production cannot be derived from the steel statistics, but has to be based on the production of pig iron.
3 Apparent consumption (production + import - export + decrease of stocks - increase of stocks)
4 As various chlorine products are highly toxic, carcinogenic or teratogenic, a phase out of chlorine use is required in the medium term.

Present use and environmental space of some important non-renewable raw materials

need lower material intensity per product or service

It is critical to plan to 'dematerialise' on the basis of the creation of human well-being - not just the creation of physical products. Overall, we must use much less non-renewable raw materials and energy in the economic process than we do now. We have to find ways to produce as many services and goods as needed with a limited amount of resources per capita. Therefore the quality of products has to be increased; they should have a longer life span, be possible to repair or dismantle and reuse or recycle, thus achieving the same or more well-being based on a limited amount of resource use.

The proposed reductions in matter flows are calculated principally on the basis of nature's sink capacities. Although these reductions mean that the rate of depletion of finite resources is slowed, this is no 'eternal' solution. Sometime after 2010, 2030 or 2050, at different times for various materials and fuels, depletion of stocks may become critical. So after limiting flows, future steps to protect and substitute for stocks must be taken. In the medium term, the use of non-renewable materials should be linked to investment in new and sustainable ways of meeting the same human needs.