Smaller material footprint, more recycling than the EU average

Material consumption down by over 20 percent

Throughout the entire period 2000-2018, Dutch domestic material consumption (DMC) per capita was considerably lower than in Belgium, Germany and the EU-28. Only three countries - Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy – had lower levels.
Measured in kg per capita, in 2018 the Netherlands consumed over 20 percent fewer materials than in 2000; this concerned both raw and processed materials. Belgium’s material consumption per capita was over 6 percent lower than in 2000 and Germany’s almost 10 percent.
On the other hand, the material input per capita destined for exports was higher in the Netherlands than elsewhere in the European Union. This is due to the fact that the Netherlands has a relatively small and open economy; it imports a high volume of goods which undergo slight processing and are subsequently re-exported.

Material footprint per capita smaller than EU average

The Dutch material footprint is considerably smaller than average in the EU-28. This is mainly due to a lower consumption of minerals. One reason for this is that the Netherlands is a relatively small and densely populated country, so that relatively few materials are needed per capita for the construction of the necessary infrastructure, e.g. roads.

Use of abiotic materials has declined

In 2018, consumption of abiotic materials (all materials except biomass) was down by more than 20 percent on 2010. The Netherlands is gradually moving towards a more circular economy where domestic material consumption is concerned.

Still high waste production, but also high recycling rate

Although waste production per capita (excluding demolition waste) has declined in recent years, it is still high from an international perspective at 2.5 thousand kg in 2016. The average across the EU is nearly 1.8 thousand kg per capita. The relatively high waste production is related to the fact that the Netherlands produces large quantities of goods for exports, which causes waste generation within the Netherlands.
On the other hand, the Netherlands has one of the highest recycling rates in Europe. At 1.7 kg of recycled waste per capita in 2016, the Netherlands ranks third in the EU after Luxembourg and Belgium. Mineral waste input in the construction sector contributes significantly to this high score. In 2016, waste deposits in the Netherlands were down by nearly 40 percent on 2008. In the same period, incineration with energy recovery increased.