Tacoma, Washington - August 3, 2021: The City of Tacoma, Seattle Good Business Network, and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development today announced the launch of a new program that allows for circular reuse of products and materials that might otherwise be destined for disposal in landfills. Through the Washington Materials Marketplace, traditional and non-traditional waste streams are matched with new reuse and recycling opportunities that result in landfill diversion, carbon reduction, cost savings, energy savings, and new job opportunities. This platform will aid both public and private sectors in reaching our region’s climate action and equity goals.

This approach to enhancing recycling and reuse is quite different from previous approaches.

• The Washington Materials Marketplace's online platform is actively facilitated, which means activity is monitored and reuse opportunities are identified and pushed to relevant companies as recommendations. If the parties involved need assistance or an opportunity stalls, the platform is there to step in and facilitate movement.
• It is easy to use. Users can post materials and engage other parties without taking too much time. The application is mobile-friendly and will alert users when there is activity on their posted material.
• Today, more companies than ever are under pressure to show progress toward sustainability goals and to engage with community partners and collaborative solutions. The Washington Materials Marketplace helps companies accomplish goals and report successes.
• It is inclusive. Programming will include circular product design and redesign workshops, technical assistance and 1:1 consultation to also include support for BIPOC- and women-owned businesses and micro enterprises.

The Washington Materials Marketplace joins other regional Materials Marketplace initiatives, including programs in Austin, Tennessee, Ohio, Ontario, and Michigan. This hybrid approach allows for deep engagement with Washington-specific challenges and opportunities, and to facilitate interaction at the national scale when appropriate.

To date, the Materials Marketplace program nationally has helped divert over 17 million pounds of material to higher and better use, generating over $1.6 million in value to participating businesses and organizations. Unique transactions include unleaded CRT glass going into tile manufacturing, reuse of business furniture and fixtures, and reuse of high-volume off-spec or unneeded chemicals.

The Washington Materials Marketplace is free to join for companies and organizations in Washington and was funded through a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology. For more information and to request an invitation, visit https://washington.materialsmarketplace.org.

About the City of Tacoma

Located on the land of the Puyallup Tribe and birthplace of world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, Tacoma is home to a vibrant, creative community of writers, artists and musicians, photographers, filmmakers, passionate entrepreneurs and business owners. This city of over 200,000 is experiencing unprecedented growth. With more than $1 billion being invested in downtown Tacoma alone, private investment has surpassed public investment by a nearly 4:1 ratio.

With sweeping mountain, city and water views, urbanites and families alike gravitate toward Tacoma’s charming neighborhoods with big city amenities. Founded in 1918, the Port of Tacoma provides nearly $3 billion in economic activity, moving goods from all corners of Washington and the United States through the Tideflats to people all over the world. Tacoma is a city on the rise.

About the Seattle Good Business Network

Seattle Good Business Network is a coalition of residents, local businesses, non-profits, and municipal organizations. Its mission is to connect and inspire people to buy, produce, and invest locally, so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.

Founded in 2010, its economic development programming is designed to build an economy that is vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive. Programs include Good Food Economy, that works to strengthen local food systems and supply chains; Good Food Kitchens, supporting community kitchens and local farms in providing meals to communities in-need; Seattle Restaurant Week; and Seattle Made, a collaborative program supporting over 650 urban manufacturers and producers, in addition to youth workforce development, and sustainability, and circular economy initiatives. Learn more at seattlegood.org

About the US BCSD

The US BCSD is an action-oriented and member-led nonprofit business association, founded in 1992 to give leading US businesses a platform to mobilize boots on the ground and work together to design, implement and scale sustainability solutions. Business-led platforms, projects and partnerships are helping leading companies scale solutions to ecosystems, cities, circular economy and water challenges. Since 2014, the US BCSD’s Circular Economy platform has led development of the Materials Marketplace - an award-winning regional and national platform that connects businesses to develop and scale new reuse and recycling market opportunities. Manufacturers are using the Marketplace to source materials and find new solutions for challenging wastes and by-products, recycling companies are uncovering new customers and end-markets, and entrepreneurs are using the program as an innovation platform to build new reuse and recycling businesses. Learn more at https://usbcsd.org.

Republished from the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development
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