€688 million material loss per year shows the economic scale of value that can disappear when materials are treated as waste instead of assets. The figure makes circularity a financial question as well as an environmental one.

In the value-retention work for the built environment, this points to reuse, repair, remanufacturing and better material planning. The goal is to prevent useful materials from becoming low-value outputs. When value is retained, fewer raw materials are needed and less economic potential leaks from the chain.