Commodity lifecycles in US materials demand

Abstract This paper suggests that the dematerialization concept provides only a shorter-run or limited explanation of materials demand patterns. We offer instead the concept of transmaterialization, which furnishes a longer-run or more complete interpretation of materials demand patterns. Two hypotheses about materials demand behaviour are partially confirmed: (1) that a number of materials IOU patterns follow the commodity lifecycle theory; and (2) that these lifecycles occur in waves which have been observable since earlier this century.

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