The challenge of current climate change requires strategies for sustainable consumption, prioritizing products produced with minimal resource use and CO2-emissions. Shifting from a linear to a circular economy is essential, utilizing strategies such as repurposing, repairing, remanufacturing, and recycling. Successful implementation requires thoughtful product design and a comprehensive understanding of materials and manufacturing processes. With the focus on the material, this article uses selected examples to show different strategies to manufacture products with low use of resources and CO2-emission. The examples are questions from successfully implemented research projects. For example, by adapting the alloy design, the material properties could be improved, and the product usage phase could be extended. Other examples focus on reducing critical and cost-intensive elements to minimize costs and delivery dependencies. Further examples deal with the repurpose approach or the joining of steel-aluminum connections to produce a hybrid multi-material mix to manufacture high-strength and lightweight structures for the automotive sector.