Our ecological footprint

on 26 July 2017

In the Netherlands we live in a throwaway society. Every year we throw away 1,300,000 washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and coffee makers (ASN Bank Z.D). We demand a lot from our raw materials. Sustainable development and the circular economy go hand in hand, according to Dr. Frank J. Dietz also together. The use of raw materials has increased sharply, with the result that raw materials are not running out immediately, but there is no longer any security of supply. We will depend on China for the supply of rare earth metals in the future. More than 90% of the most important rare earths come from China (Dietz, 2018). It is time that we use our washing machines and dryers sustainably. Due to this scarcity, it is time to look for sustainable solutions.