Companies Convene to “Turn Wastes into Profit”

By-Product Synergy Northwest is helping Washington companies increase the amount of their output that is actually profitable. Through a process developed by the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, a network of Northwest companies from a wide variety of business sectors is forming to identify and implement “synergies” that will allow one company’s waste to become another company’s feedstock. The rallying cry of the program is “Turn Waste into Profit!”

A Kickoff event to launch the By-Product Synergy Northwest initiative will be held on June 28th in the Bertha Knight Landes Room of Seattle City Hall from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Elin Miller, Regional Administrator, EPA - Region 10 and Andy Mangan, Executive Director United States Business Council for Sustainable Development, are among the speakers.

The event will provide information about the initiative and offer companies the opportunity to begin exploring products and materials synergy. Registration and information is online at www.pprc.org/synergy.

By-Product Synergy Northwest is being launched through a partnership that includes The Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS), the Washington Department of Ecology, the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC), the King County Hazardous Waste Management Program and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development. The basis for by-product synergy is found in natural ecosystems where there is no waste -- everything is reused. In business terms, that equals 100 percent product, not zero waste. The Northwest partnership will facilitate development of synergies by engaging companies with diverse processes and products and providing technical support and analysis to determine which synergies make sense both economically and environmentally.

To learn more about the June 28 Kickoff event or By-Product Synergy Northwest, go to www.pprc.org/synergy or contact Debra Taevs at 503-336-1256; DTaevs@pprc.org.