20 April 2026

Theme: Earth’s resources – Part 2/7:

What are resources?
Why is it important to understand them?

Without humans, nature is 100% circular. There is essentially no waste, everything that dies becomes nourishment for future resources in different life forms. With humans, it becomes more complex. We have needs for resources which, so far, have rarely been based on circularity. Historically, whether they leave an impact on the planet has not really been a concern.

What are resources?
Today, we can divide resources into three categories:

• Material resources such as raw materials, products, and physical assets.
• Energy resources for heat and movement. Forces that drive processes from both fossil and renewable sources.
• Human resources such as competence, creativity, and the ability to collaborate.

Why is it important for Mousetrapper to understand this?
Understanding resources is important for everyone, and for Mousetrapper it is crucial in order to understand how we can reduce our climate impact while making better decisions about materials, energy, and resource use.

Resource flows – 90% of our climate footprint
The largest share of our products’ climate impact occurs within the value chain, for example in raw material extraction, material production, transportation, and at the end of the product’s life cycle. In our calculations, this accounts for approximately 90% of the total climate footprint.

What we choose affects how we succeed
Material choices have a wide range of impacts. They influence cost, climate footprint, resource use, product lifespan, the ability to repair or recycle the product, and the customer experience. Navigating this is not simple, but it is possible, and we are continuously improving.

The EU is tightening circularity requirements
There are also regulations from authorities and the EU that we must follow. The EU is now introducing new requirements related to improved resource efficiency, ecodesign, digital product passports, and the circular economy, aimed at getting more stakeholders to move in the same direction.

Understanding resources is therefore the foundation for building a circular society. A society that does not consume more than what we take from the Earth’s resources. And we are steadily moving toward that goal, even if we would always like it to go faster.

Would you like to know more about our sustainability efforts, or have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact me. I might not have all the answers, but I’ll do my best. You can reach me at jan.domelid@mousetrapper.com, +46 703 25 11 90