Circular material use rate

In 2023, the circular material use rate reached 7.5%. However, Poland’s global circularity gap metric for 2022 exceeded 10%, placing it above the world average (8.6%). The Polish economy is one of the most resource intensive in the EU, but its resource productivity has grown by over 60% since 2000, which is well above the EU average. In 2022, Poland’s resource productivity was EUR 0.84/kg of gross domestic product (GDP), whereas, in 2020, its GDP per capita in purchasing power standard was below the 80% average for the EU-27. Real GDP increased by 46% in 2010–2021, with economic growth accompanied by the more effective use of material resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic years, the country’s macroeconomic performance was strongly affected. Both annual domestic material consumption and the annual material footprint are now around 18 t/capita (almost 30% above the EU average). Since 2010, domestic material consumption has been growing due to the increase in the use of metals and minerals (by 21%) and biomass (by 7%), while the use of high-emission fossil fuels has reduced by 7%. One of the distinctive features supporting Poland’s circular economy is the very low level of municipal waste generated per capita compared with the EU average. The government adopted the circular economy roadmap in 2019, focusing on sustainable resource management, waste reduction and innovative business models.