consumption of materials
- noun
- Specialized
:
consumo de materiales
- In particular, the survey found that all firms reduced their consumption of materials and energy per unit of sales.
Examples
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Many manufacturers are looking for ways to lower their consumption of materials to promote sustainability.
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In recent years, there has been a good deal of discussion about the "dematerialization" of human activities, with several authorities arguing that there has been a steady shift toward lower consumption of materials and energy per unit of gross domestic product.
Academic text (1995) -
The company's annual report highlighted a significant decrease in the consumption of materials due to improved production efficiency.
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By implementing recycling programs, the organization aims to reduce its consumption of materials and minimize waste.
Synonyms
How much material a factory or country uses to make one product
Antonyms
How Much
3
4.9
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
consumption + of + material
The meaning is directly compositional: 'consumption' (using up) + 'of' + 'materials' (physical resources) yields 'use of materials/resources', which a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common noun phrase describing resource use, so no idiomatic knowledge is required.
Etymology
The phrase consumption of materials gives a simple image: imagine a factory as a big stomach that 'eats' raw parts, fuel and energy, and this is consumption of materials as they are 'used up' while making a product. So, the term means the amount of material 'used up' to make one unit.