# Material footprint
- **Definition:** The **material footprint** represents the **quantity of materials needed** to manufacture all the items we purchase and use, such as **clothes**, **appliances**, and **furniture**.
- **Scope:** This footprint includes everything **from the wood in our desks to the metals in our phones**.
- **Purpose:** By measuring the material footprint, we can understand the **amount of resources extracted from the earth** in a country.
- **Implications:** It helps us know if we are **using too many things** and **increasing pressure on the environment**. If the material footprint is large, it means we are using a lot of resources, which could be harmful to the planet.
- **Action:** Therefore, by **monitoring this footprint**, we can try to **use resources more wisely** and **protect the earth for future generations**.
- **Unit and figure:** The measurement unit is **tons per capita**. The figure illustrates the material footprint in **16 Arab countries** in the year **2019**.