The material basis of OECD economies

This chapter examines trends in material flows and resource productivity in OECD countries using tools from Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and data from Material Flow Accounting (see the Reader’s Guide for data sources). In MFA, the term "materials" is often used in a broad sense, so as to encompass all materialrelated flows arising at all stages of the material cycle. It refers to both materials and products derived from natural resources that are used as inputs into human activities, as well as residuals (such as waste or pollutant emissions) arising from their extraction and use, and ecosystem inputs (such as nutrients, carbon dioxide, and oxygen) required for their extraction and use. Here the focus is on “material resources” that designate the usable materials or substances (raw materials, energy) produced from natural resources. These usable "materials" include energy carriers (gas, oil, coal), metal ores and metals, construction minerals and other minerals, soil and biomass. Ecosystem inputs and pollutant outputs are not considered.