Recycling Development Center
The Recycling Development Center (RDC) focuses on developing domestic markets for Washington’s recyclable materials. The RDC is a partnership between Ecology and the Washington Department of Commerce (Commerce). Our efforts include convening discussions, supporting innovations, conducting research, and providing business assistance. Our partners at Commerce provide business, marketing, and technical assistance to the public and private sectors.
Background
The Washington Legislature established the RDC in July 2019 (Chapter 70A.240 RCW). The law tasks the RDC with facilitating research and development, marketing, and policy analysis to bolster recycling markets and processing in Washington.
The RDC’s efforts work to establish a circular economy. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines the circular economy as a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The circular economy tackles climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.
Convene
The RDC brings people and information together
A 14-member advisory board provides guidance for the RDC’s work. This diverse group is a mix of public agencies, private industry, universities, and nonprofits. They advise Ecology and Commerce as we explore changes to state policies and improvements to recycling markets.
The RDC hosts quarterly advisory board meetings where we hear from experts on recyclable materials. This provides valuable information and expertise sharing about points of entry into the market, from hauling to making products from recyclable materials (like paper, plastic, textiles, or expanded polystyrene or EPS). These meetings are open to the public and are typically hybrid, held both online and in-person, with the location rotating around the state. Most meetings are followed with a tour of a facility related to end markets using recyclable materials.
Learn more about the RDC advisory board.
The more the RDC can connect with industry the more we can facilitate connections. Recent tours include:
- North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC) in Longview
- Refugee Artisan Initiative in Lake City
- 911 Glass Rescue in Chelan
- McConkey & Company in Sumner
- Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC) in Clackamas, Oregon
- Styro Recycle in Kent
Let us know if you have a facility we should see!
Identifying barriers and finding solutions is only possible with connections to the community. After hearing that interest was growing for new solutions to recycling glass in Eastern Washington, the RDC hosted a Glass Summit in Union Gap, Wash. in May 2023. The summit explored sustainable and innovative ways to solve the glass recycling problem. Community groups, academics, county, city, local, and international businesses were all represented and shared relevant and timely information.
We will continue to host meetings to bring interested parties together to reduce barriers and get us all closer to a circular economy. Reach out if you have questions or need to make connections.
Resources from May 2023 Eastern Washington Glass Summit:
Innovate
NextCycle Washington
The RDC joined with King County Solid Waste Division, Seattle Public Utilities, and Commerce to develop NextCycle Washington. Washington is one of only three states to use the groundbreaking NextCycle platform to invest in market development and boost the circular economy. Michigan and Colorado are the other two states using the platform.
NextCycle WA connects entrepreneurs, companies, and communities to technical support, financial resources, and capacity-building for projects focused on waste prevention and material recycling, recovery, and reuse. NextCycle WA offers accelerator support customized to the RMDC’s goals and resources (startups receive mentorship and technical support, culminating in a polished pitch). After our six-month mentorship program, the pitches will be presented at a Pitch Showcase where teams get valuable feedback and can win awards with cash prizes.
Research
Learn more about Washington’s recycling end markets
Several research efforts provide more information about recycling end markets in Washington. The RDC continues to invest in research to understand Washington’s businesses, non-profits, and innovators taking part in the circular economy. As our connections grow so will our ability to connect recyclable materials to end markets.
Check out these resources to learn more:
- Recyclable material papers on: paper, glass, and plastic.
- University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
- 2019 report, Developing Secondary Markets for Recycled Materials in the Pacific Northwest
- 2023 report, Developing Priorities in Recycling Markets
- Western Washington University Center for Economic and Business Research
- 2021 RDC one-time grant project list
- 2022 RDC report to the legislature
- 2020 RDC report to the legislature
- Work Plan for 2022-2023
- Work Plan for 2024
Assistance
Commerce provides business assistance
Visit the Choose Washington website to see the services offered by Commerce.
Examples include:
- Property search
- County data
- Compare communities
- Industry/business data
- Permitting & regulations
- Utilities
- Incentives
- Transportation
- Innovation partnership zones
- Foreign trade zones
- Workspaces, incubators, accelerators
- Focus on key sectors
You can reach out to Commerce for more information by emailing info@choosewashington.com or calling 206-256-6100. Or email Kirk Esmond (he/him) - Sustainable Business Development Director Kirk.Esmond@commerce.wa.gov
Related links
Contact information
RDC email
RecDevCenter@ecy.wa.gov