Dematerialisation

Dematerialisation, or dematerialisation, is the process by which economic activity and material throughput decline relative to GDP or service output. In practice, it describes shifting from material‑intensive production to services, digital goods, and information‑based activities, so that growth can occur with a lower use of physical resources, raw materials, and energy.

Key metrics include material intensity (materials used per unit of GDP), domestic material consumption, and total material requirement. Relative decoupling occurs when GDP grows faster than material use; absolute decoupling occurs when material use declines while GDP grows. Globally, some economies show relative decoupling, but global material use has continued to rise due to population growth and rising demand in developing countries. Critics point to rebound effects and structural shifts that may offset gains.

Drivers and mechanisms include digitalization, the shift to services, cloud computing, data networks, and dematerialization of media (streaming music and video, e‑books) as well as product‑service models that emphasize access over ownership. Efficiency improvements, recycling, and design for durability contribute to dematerialisation, but energy demand of information infrastructure and the supply of rare metals can offset material savings, creating complex net effects.

Examples and policy relevance include the move from physical media to streaming; paperless offices; teleconferencing reducing travel; and cloud services replacing local storage. Policy responses commonly emphasize investments in digital infrastructure and energy efficiency, incentives for service‑oriented business models, and measures to reduce e‑waste and promote recycling and sustainable design.