materialeinput

Materialeinput, often translated as material input, is a metric used in sustainability assessment to quantify the total quantity of material resources required to produce and deliver a product or service. It includes raw materials extracted, energy and water used during production, and the materials embodied in intermediate products and imported goods. The measure is typically expressed as mass (kilograms or tonnes) per unit of service, such as per product unit or per functional unit.

Calculation and scope: Materialeinput can be approached with life cycle assessment (LCA) methods or material flow accounting. In the Material Input per Unit Service (MIPS) framework, the material input is the sum of all material inputs along the supply chain up to the point where the service is delivered. Boundaries may be cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-site, or cradle-to-grave, and can include direct material inputs (materials used directly in production) and indirect inputs (materials used to produce energy, infrastructure, packaging).

Applications: It is used to compare products, identify hotspots for material efficiency, support design for a circular economy, and inform policy and corporate sustainability reporting. It complements other indicators such as energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water footprint.

Strengths and limitations: Materialeinput provides a straightforward mass-based view of material throughput, aiding material efficiency discussions. It does not directly measure environmental impact per tonne (toxicity, emissions, and resource depletion vary by material) and depends on boundary choices and data quality. It is most effective when used alongside complementary indicators.

Related concepts: Material footprint (MF), MIPS, LCA, life cycle thinking, circular economy.