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Moving Toward Beyond Waste with Industries

Today’s Reality

Washington’s population is projected to grow dramatically to 7.8 million by 2025. Hazardous wastes, toxic releases from manufacturing processes, and product consumption also will increase. This will increase the potential for human exposure to toxic chemicals and environmental degradation.

At the same time, most companies will look for ways to increase their market share and reduce costs to stay competitive in an increasingly global marketplace. Washington’s economy suffered after September 11, 2001, but rebounded a few years later. Washington’s economy, along with the rest of world, took another big downward turn in 2008. As of this writing, it has yet to recover. This may seem like a tough time to invest in sustainability. However, one study shows that “sustainability focused” companies outperformed industry peers with 15 percent higher stock prices over six months. The firm A.T. Kearney looked at 99 companies to determine this trend.

Washington’s economy is in the midst of change. Manufacturing jobs are declining. As the population grows, jobs in service industries will increase.  These changes affect the type of wastes generated and hazardous substances used. Employment projections predict that some traditional industries, such as aerospace and aluminum production, will continue to decline. Other sectors are expected to increase, such as chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, government, services, electrical/electronic equipment production, wholesale trade, and industrial machinery/equipment. Washington’s green businesses also are increasing, such as biofuels production from organic materials.

Goals: What Washington will look like in 30 years (by 2035)

Thirty-year goals for the Industries Initiative:

Safe products and services.

We have eliminated most threats to human health and the environment due to hazardous materials.  The design of products and services produced in Washington minimizes hazards throughout their life cycles.  Nearly all products are less toxic.  Consumer demand for effective, environmentally friendly products is widespread.  We handle products formulated with hazardous materials as carefully as hazardous waste.

Economic vitality.

Washington businesses and other sectors thrive in the domestic and global marketplace as they systematically eliminate hazardous materials from products and services, replacing them with safer materials made locally.  Consumer confidence has increased, risks and liabilities have decreased, and costs for managing wastes are reduced.  The design of Washington businesses, and the products and services they provide, maximizes pollution prevention and sustainability principles.

Sustainable materials management.

Consumers demand sustainable products and services that Washington businesses design and provide.  Protecting human health and the environmental is paramount.  There is a well-operating infrastructure for managing hazardous materials safely and responsibly.

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