At such consumption rate
(exhaustion) it is clear that the resources demand cannot be satisfied only from natural resources - virgin materials.
One of the effects of natural resources exploitation on the environment is that of generating increasing quantities of
waste. Within the EU every citizen produces about 550 kg of household waste per year. This quantity knows an
increasing trend due to population growth and standard of living. The European Agency for the Environment
forecasts that by the year 2020 the quantity of household waste will increase up to 680 kg per citizen if the current
rhythm of consumption is maintained (by Euractiv, Enquête: les Danois sont les plus gros producteurs de déchets
urbains, http://www.euractiv.fr/climat-environnement/enquete-les-danois-sont-les-plus-news-238117). According to
the EC executive, the solution is to use fewer primary resources, to get more from a quantity of given resources, by
increasing recycling and extending it in all economic and consuming activities.