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 is accounted for by recycled waste (see more details in the methodology section below). Although the EU’s CMUR has increased slightly in the past decade, from 10.8% in 2010 to 12.8% in 2020, it is still considered low. This increasing trend is explained mainly by decreases in domestic material consumption, while the amount of waste recycled has remained rather stable. Non-metallic minerals account for more than 50% of total material consumption and decreases in the consumption of these materials has contributed significantly to the decreasing CMUR.

The CMURs for the various material groups differ significantly, being above 25% for metal ores in 2020 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 2020, although the CMUR for metal ores fluctuated substantially during the period. Significant differences appear of consumption footprint per capita by Member State (see EEA indicator).

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 — 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.