Market & Economic Development

Economic development and environmental protection not only can co-exist, they must. It is the terms of this coexistence that allow for discussion and disagreement, and open the door for creativity.

Full Circle’s work in this arena ranges from straightforward market expansion for environmentally-preferable products, to developing recovery and processing infrastructure for under-utilized materials, to changing the terms of the debate by moving costs away from ratepayers, taxpayers, and local governments and toward producers and consumers.

Related Projects

Plastic Packaging Management, Evaluation, & Assessment

The 2019 Washington State Legislature found that unwanted products should be managed with priority on prevention and reduction, followed by recycling and reuse, before energy

Optimized WA State EPR Recycling Model

In the wake of collapsing Chinese markets for recyclables, King County Solid Waste Division, with key support from Seattle Public Utilities, convened the Responsible Recycling

Recycling Systems Framework Research

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality hired our team (RRS, Prime) to support the DEQ-convened Recycling Steering Committee to evaluate and recommend changes in the

Domestic Processing of Mixed Plastic – Stakeholder Interviews

Catalyzed by increasing concern about responsible recycling of mixed plastics and China’s National Sword ban, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and King County Solid Waste Division’s

Clothing Waste Prevention & Materials Management

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requested communications and outreach support to develop shelf ready waste prevention and reuse campaigns to help local governments

Backhaul Alaska

Alaska’s rural communities are distinct from the entirety of the U.S. Their landfills are unlined, typically uncovered, and waste burning without emissions treatment is commonplace.

Clothing Waste Prevention

While end of life diversion (such as donation to thrift shops) and reduction of waste and toxicity upstream at the production end are important, our

Climate Change Reduction through Environmentally-Preferable Purchasing

The West Coast Climate and Materials Management Forum — created by EPA Region 9 — developed a “toolkit” of resources and strategies to help public

Electric Drive Vehicle End-of-Life Battery Market Research

This market assessment sought to understand if the processing infrastructure for batteries from Electric Drive Vehicles (EDV) in North America will be sufficient for the

Post-Consumer Ceramics & Non-Container Glass Market Development

Full Circle researched market expansion opportunities for recycling post-consumer ceramics and non-container glass, both of which present disposal problems for area thrift stores and other

12