What is Earth Overshoot Day?

Earth Overshoot Day marks the point at which we have used more raw materials and natural resources globally than the Earth can replenish in a single year. From that day on, we are living on ecological credit. The later Earth Overshoot Day falls in the year, the less pressure there is on our planet.

In 2026 , Earth Overshoot Day fell on July 30. That means that in that year , we used 1.8 times as many resources as the Earth can regenerate in 12 months.

Earth Overshoot Day and resource scarcity

Earth Overshoot Day and resource scarcity are directly linked: the more resources we consume than the Earth can regenerate in a single year, the scarcer these resources become.

The impact is already being felt at 78% of Dutch organizations.

This is evident from research conducted by Milgro. They see it reflected in purchase invoices, in conversations with suppliers who cannot provide clarity, and in delivery times that continue to increase. This percentage will continue to rise, because for the most part, we are dependent on other countries. Geopolitical tensions are making that dependence increasingly uncertain. Approximately 70% of the organizations surveyed in the Netherlands and Belgium are concerned about this.

Particularly vulnerable

28% stillhave no idea which raw materials are in short supply for their own products or services. In Belgium, this figure is as high as 41%. Without this insight, you don’t know where your organization is vulnerable and what you can do about it.

And that is precisely the gap that this research report highlights: the gap between the awareness that raw materials are becoming scarcer and more expensive, and actually taking the necessary steps toward a less dependent, circular business model.

In the research report, you’ll discover, among other things:

How to identify your top five critical raw materials
Which three steps you can take immediately to reduce your dependence on scarce raw materials
How other organizations have made the transition to a circular approach and what you can learn from them.

Milgro and Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day shows that we consistently consume more resources than the Earth can replenish in a single year. This has to change. How? By using resources more wisely.

At Milgro, we’re accelerating the resource transition by working toward a world free of waste. We don’t view waste as an end point, but as a resource that has gone astray.

We help your organization monitor waste streams, sort them more effectively, and repurpose them as usable resources. This prevents valuable materials from being lost and helps your organization contribute to moving Earth Overshoot Day toward December 31—where it belongs.

Milgro and Earth Overshoot Day Earth Overshoot Day shows that we consistently consume more resources than the ... | Milgro

How a Zero Waste approach helps Push back Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day is pushed back when we consume fewer resources than the Earth can replenish annually. Every time materials end up as waste unnecessarily, new resources are needed to make a new product.

A Zero Waste approach helps prevent this. By minimizing waste at the source and reusing materials in high-quality ways, raw materials remain in the cycle.

#Movethedate starts with zero waste. Here’s how to do it

How do we push back the date by which we’ve used up the Earth’s resources for that year? It starts with striving for a world without waste:Zero Waste. Milgro is happy to help your organization get started.

Download this handy step-by-step guide.