Snohomish County manufacturers looking to cut costs and find new revenue streams can hear directly from the state official overseeing Washington's circular economy programs during a free Zoom session on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Kyle Gitchell, Circular Economy Development Director with the Washington State Department of Commerce, will lead the 8:30–9:30 a.m. session hosted by Economic Alliance Snohomish County.
The focus: how industrial symbiosis (the practice of one company using another's waste as raw material) can reduce disposal costs, strengthen supply chains, and open new income for local firms.
The session, titled "Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis: From Efficiency to Opportunity," is part of EASC's monthly Coffee Chats series produced with 425 Business Magazine.
Why it matters locally
The county's manufacturing base is massive. Snohomish County is home to roughly 350 aerospace-related companies anchored by Boeing's Everett plant, according to 2025 state Recycling Market Development Center records. That concentration of advanced manufacturing generates significant industrial byproducts, exactly the kind of material circular economy strategies aim to redirect.
Washington's Industrial Symbiosis Grant Program has already put real money behind the concept. In the first half of 2025, the program funded 11 projects across 11 counties, generating $6.5 million in combined grant and match funds, according to state board meeting documents.
Individual awards have ranged from $40,000 to $500,000, with a one-to-one non-state match requirement.
The program's future is uncertain. A 2026 state supplemental budget conference proposal included a line item eliminating the grant program, cutting roughly $461,000 per fiscal year. Whether that cut was enacted in the final budget could not be confirmed from available records.
"As supply chains and resource costs continue to shift, businesses across Snohomish County are looking for innovative ways to remain competitive while building long-term resilience," EASC President and CEO Ray Stephanson said in a July 29 statement announcing the event.
Gitchell, a U.S. Army veteran who holds a master's degree in public administration and policy, collaborates with the Department of Ecology's Recycling Market Development Center to connect businesses with waste-to-value opportunities and grant funding.
How to attend
The Aug. 11 session is free but requires registration to receive the Zoom link. Sign up at bit.ly/CC_CircularEconomy. EASC's next event after the Coffee Chat is a Summer Networking gathering on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Feather Ballroom in Snohomish, with tickets at $60.
