As such, the consumption of goods manufactured in Asia and the Pacific has created a large "material footprint" across the manufacturing sector's supply chain, involving many different kinds of material. The growth in material use by the manufacturing sector has resulted in economic growth in many parts of the region; the less developed countries are now starting to catch up with the living standards enjoyed by their more developed counterparts. An expanding middle class has increased the demand for and consumption of materialintensive products, such as cars, furniture and household appliances.