Every economic area is in a material exchange with the environment. Raw materials are extracted on the input side and emissions and waste are released on the output side. The use of resources does not stop at political borders. Here, for the first time, it is described in detail how the global material costs of industrialized regions can be determined. The author presents the possibilities of how the physical basis of economic areas can be aggregated and ascertained and evaluated in detail. This is explained using examples for Germany and other industrialized countries as well as results of sectoral and regional analyzes (e.g. construction area or Ruhr area). Analyzes for the planning of infrastructure facilities (energy / water / traffic) are also presented, with the help of which a more sustainable material-energy supply can be implemented locally.