Background Domestic material consumption (DMC) in the EU reached 8.2 billion tonnes in 2007, 13% of all materials extracted globally. The annual average per capita material consumption in the EU was some 65% above the global average. The supply of stable, secure resources, however, is now constrained, while the global population continues to grow and the ‘middle class’, with increased levels of consumption, expands rapidly. Many businesses are not fully aware of the potential risks or advantages of this increasing scarcity of natural resources. Although the economic and environmental benefits of implementing circular business models are known, many businesses are locked in to the existing ‘take, make, use, dispose’ linear business models. This is particularly true for SMEs. Business leaders face very significant barriers to adopting new business models or in making significant organisational changes to tackle resource efficiency. Resource efficient business models (REBMs), however, can make a major contribution towards the EU’s target of reducing domestic material use by 30% by 2020 and greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. Objectives The LIFE REBus project will demonstrate how businesses and their supply chains can implement REBMs. It will focus on four key markets: electrical and electronic products; clothing; furniture; and construction products. These have a total annual value of more than €350 billion across the EU. The project aims to: Implement 10 pilot REBMs in major organisations and 20 in SMEs with the aim of achieving 15% resource savings in the project lifetime; Measure and monitor the impact of each REBM pilot against the targets highlighted above to calculate its potential impact across the EU; Identify requirements for applying REBMs in public procurement by stimulating the demand side in order to motivate the production of resource-efficient products; Raise awareness of the outcomes amongst peer groups to promote a wider take-up; and Work with key organisations focused on this area to develop and disseminate information from the project across the EU. Expected results: The 10 large and 20 small projects are expected to deliver the following cumulative benefits per annum: 5 000 tonnes direct material savings; 20 000 tonnes of GHG emissions savings; and Financial benefits of €12 million.