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SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS 

MANAGEMENT: 

THE ROAD AHEAD

Briefing for the

National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology

by Derry Allen (EPA/OPEI)

March 25, 2009
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A ROADMAP TO 2020

• Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead

Final report due in May 2009. (Draft final: Jan. 2009). 

• Report by 2020 Vision Workgroup (senior career staff 

from 3 HQ offices, 3 Regional offices, 4 States). 

• Report addressed to Directors of ORCR (formerly OSW) 

and OPPT, who requested roadmap on how to 

implement “RCRA Vision” report (2002); audience 

includes EPA and states.

• Possible roles for NACEPT when report is complete. 
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KEY MESSAGE OF REPORT

• How our society uses materials is much more 

fundamental to many aspects of our future – economy, 

energy, environment and climate – than most people 

realize. 

• This report describes measures we can and should take 

today to begin a generation-long shift in how we manage 

materials. These measures will go a long way to 

assuring our future prosperity and a healthier planet. 
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MATERIALS

• Materials: minerals, fuels, chemicals, forestry, 

agricultural (plants and animals), soil, rock and other 

materials that come from and return to the Earth. 

• Materials Management: an approach to serving human 

needs by using/reusing resources more sustainably 

throughout their life cycles, generally minimizing the 

amount of materials involved and all the associated 

environmental impacts. 

• Sustainable Materials Management goes well beyond 

current waste and chemicals management approaches –

considers system-wide impact. 
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OUR MATERIAL WORLD

• In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more 

resources than in all previous history. 

• The U.S. consumed 57% more materials in 2000 than in 

1975; the global increase was even higher. 

• With less than 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. 

was responsible for about one- third of the world’s total 

material consumption in 1970-1995. 

• Our reliance on minerals as fundamental ingredients in 

the manufactured products used in the U.S.—including 

cell phones, flat-screen monitors, paint, and 

toothpaste—requires more than 25,000 pounds of new 

nonfuel minerals per capita each year. 
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OUR MATERIAL WORLD

• Over the past 200 years, real prices for many industrial 

raw materials have fallen significantly. 

• Projections are that between 2000 and 2050, world 

population will grow 50%, global economic activity will 

grow 500%, and global energy and materials use will 

grow 300%. The environmental implications are 

dramatic. 

• We need to decouple economic growth from resource 

use and waste generation. We need to move from waste 

management to materials management. 
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U.S. MATERIALS CONSUMPTION

0,000

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

M

aterial C

o

n

s

u

m

ptio

n (D

M

C)

(millio

n

m

etric to

n

s)

Forestry

Agriculture

Nonrenewable

Organic

Material

Metals and 

Minerals

Source: WRI Material Flow s Database 2005.

Source: WRI Material Flows Database 2005

Figure : Materials Consumption in the United States by Sector of Origin, 1975–2000
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THE FLOW OF MATERIALS

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

• By considering the impacts throughout the entire life 

cycle, materials management works to reduce 

environmental impacts, both (1) directly at each stage of 

life cycle, and (2) indirectly at multiple stages by 

reducing the amounts of materials used, and thus 

reducing system-wide environmental impacts. 

• This approach is much broader than current waste and 

chemical program approaches in terms of goals, 

responsible parties, impacts and types of measures 

considered. 
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CHOOSING PRIORITY MATERIALS

• The Workgroup has examined the life cycles of materials, products 

and services in the U.S. economy along five aspects: 

- Environmental impacts (13 different measures) 

- Energy use

- Water use 

- Material use

- Material waste

• Relative rankings have limitations but are useful for priorities. 

• Food, textiles, non-renewable organics (e.g., coal, petroleum 

products), metals, construction, forest products and several 

miscellaneous products generally ranked high. These results track 

with other studies. 

• Analysis generally endorsed in peer review; some additional runs 

and other adjustments now being made. 
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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Three major recommendations: 

1. Begin managing materials/products on a life cycle basis.

2. Enhance capacity for the future. 

3. Accelerate public dialogue on materials management.

• Measures include many ideas from U.S. and international 

organizations/agreements (OECD, G8). 

• Recommendations speak to EPA (HQ & regions) and 

states. 

• Measures include near-term steps; would begin a 

generation-long shift in how we manage materials.
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RECOMMENDATION 1

1. Begin managing materials and products on a lifecycle basis.

• Select a few materials/products for an integrated lifecycle approach, and launch pilot efforts.

• Focus existing programs more fully on life-cycle 

materials management strategies.
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RECOMMENDATION 2

2. Build capacity and integrate materials management 

approaches in government.

• Establish and improve databases to promote materials 

management.

• Improve decision tools to support life-cycle materials 

management. 

• Expand research and innovations support programs to 

boost materials management.

• Emphasize materials management in agency programs 

and procedures.

• Support and reward federal, state, tribal, and local 

champions for materials management.
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RECOMMENDATION 3

3. Accelerate the broad, ongoing public dialogue on 

life-cycle materials management.

• Stimulate a national conversation about materials 

management, engaging multiple networks.

• Open a dialogue on economic instruments to 

encourage better materials management. 

• Share knowledge about materials management within 

multiple networks.
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NEXT STEPS ON REPORT

• Final report due in May. Will be presented to new EPA 

senior leaders. 

• Recommendations are even more important in today’s 

economy than when the workgroup began in 2007; can 

be an important element of our national strategy to 

address current economic, energy, environment and 

climate issues. 

• Important to begin dialogue and start now scoping out 

implementation issues. 
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POSSIBLE NACEPT ROLES

• Read final report (May 2009). 

• Advise EPA, participate in public dialogue.

- Advise on general approach and implementation. 

- Advise on specific issues, e.g., 

- Life cycle materials management strategies

- Data priorities 

- Incorporate appropriate ideas into future NACEPT 

reports on various subjects.