By Abdullahi Lukman
Global recycling rates are continuing to fall amid rising consumption and unchecked economic growth, with only 6.9 percent of the 106 billion tonnes of materials used annually re-entering the supply chain, a new report by Circle Economy has revealed.
This marks the eighth consecutive year of decline and a 2.2 percentage point drop since 2015. Researchers warn that even under ideal conditions, global recycling could only meet 25 percent of material demand, underscoring the need to drastically reduce consumption.
The report attributes the decline to systemic issues: consumption is growing faster than both recycling systems and population growth.
While some companies have boosted the use of recycled materials, the majority continue to rely on virgin resources, facing little regulatory pressure to change.
Ivonne Bojoh, CEO of Circle Economy, emphasized that recycling alone cannot address the “triple planetary crisis.” She called for a fundamental shift toward circular practices—such as sustainable biomass use, better resource management in infrastructure, and the elimination of landfill waste.
Despite some progress between 2018 and 2021—with a 200 million tonne increase in recycled material use—the rise was overshadowed by a faster surge in virgin material extraction.
Global raw material use has more than tripled over the past 50 years and is projected to grow by 60 percent by 2060 if left unchecked.
The report highlights stark inequalities in material consumption: high-income countries use six times more resources per person than low-income countries.
The EU and US alone consume over half of global materials while making up just 10 percent of the global population.
To reverse the trend, the report urges the creation of global circular economy targets and the establishment of an “International Materials Agency” to track and guide sustainable resource use, similar to the International Energy Agency.
It also calls for policy environments that discourage wasteful practices and support smarter, more sustainable consumption.
