Dematerialization is defined as reducing the total material and energy throughput of any product or service to limit its environmental impact. This includes reducing raw materials during production, energy and materials during use, and waste during disposal. If everyone lived like people in industrialized countries, we would need four planets. Industrialized countries need to dematerialize production and consumption by a factor of ten through innovation, resource efficiency throughout the supply chain, sustainable consumption patterns, and recycling. Physical products are increasingly being replaced by online services through digitization, sharing economies, and business models that sell performance rather than products.

1. demateralisation doing more with less

3. Environmental Footprint of people in different countries Source: Mathis Wackernagel and Redefining Progress www.rprogress.org

15. Physical products replaced by online services

16. 1. DEMATERIALISATION: SUSTAINABLE SERVICES