How our society uses materials is fundamental to many aspects of our economic and environmental future. If we want the United States to be competitive in the world economy, the sustainable use of materials must be our goal. Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead suggests a roadmap for the future based on materials management—fulfilling human needs and prospering, while using less materials, reducing toxics and recovering more of the materials used.

• Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead (PDF)(49 pp, 1 MB)
• Appendix: Relative Ranking of Materials, Products, and Services Consumed in the U.S. Using Selected Environmental Criteria Technical Support Document (PDF)(67 pp, 3 MB)
• Memo from the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response to the ECOS Waste Committee (PDF)(2 pp, 405 K)