The rising population and industrial growth place increasing strains on a variety ofmaterial and energy resources. Understanding how to make the most economicallyand environmentally efficient use of materials will require an understanding of theflow of materials from the time a material is extracted through processing, manufacturing, use, and its ultimate destination as a waste or reusable resource. Materials Count examines the usefulness of creating and maintaining material flow accountsfor developing sound public policy, evaluates the technical basis for material flowsanalysis, assesses the current state of material flows information, and discusses whoshould have institutional responsibility for collecting, maintaining, and providingaccess to additional data for material flow accounts.