Sinks as limited resources? A new indicator for evaluating anthropogenic material flows

- Sinks are required to accommodate wastes and emissions.
- Anthropogenic sinks are provided where capacities of geogenic sinks are lacking.
- A new indicator discriminates between acceptable and unacceptable flows to sinks.
- The indicator is applied in three case studies on urban and national scales.
- Implications for resource, waste and environmental management are discussed.