RE:Source Synergy Network
Baseline Survey
Thank you for participating in RE:Source, the Inland NW By-Product Synergy Network. Funded by
a 2-year grant to Sustainable Resources INW from the WA State Dept. of Ecology, this project helps
businesses become more efficient, innovative and competitive by saving money and sometimes
even making money through the reuse and exchange of materials traditionally thought of as
“waste.”
RE:Source provides you with free access to workshops, the Materials Innovation Exchange
website and a host of other resources to help you reduce disposal and operating costs, create new
business opportunities, and exchange and reuse materials.
Survey Purpose: The purpose of this survey is two-fold: 1) to create a set of baseline information
from which we can all mark progress, and 2) to engage your work team members in a shared
vision for how materials exchange and substitution opportunities could be incorporated into your
operations.
Survey Instructions: Complete the survey below with your work team, sharing with them what
you’ve just learned from the May 22 Resource Flow Mapping workshop and drawing on them for
other information about your organization. Return to the second workshop in this pair of
trainings on June 19, “shopping list” in hand and prepared for a lively time of Materials
Exchange Speed Networking.
Return your completed survey by Thursday June 12 to Susanne Croft at Sustainable Resources,
susanne@sustaininw.org. Questions? Contact Susanne by email or phone: 209-2861.
Organization and Contact Information
Organization Name:
Address:
Point of Contact Name:
Title
Phone:
Email:
SIC/NAICS code number:
Product or Service:
Number of Employees:
Baseline information
INPUTS
Material
Amount by
wt./year
Virgin
Sustainably
sourced
Reused
feedstock
Cost
Building & Construction
Chemicals
Electronics
Furnishings
Industrial Machinery
Inorganics (e.g., sand,
glass, etc)
Metals
Organics & Agriculture
Packaging Materials
Paint & Ink
Paper/cardboard
Plastics & rubber
Textiles & Fibers
Wood Products
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
OUTPUTS:
Type
Weight or
volume/year
Comments
Weight or
volume/year
Comments
Hazardous
Non Hazardous
Total
Category
Inorganic
Organic
Total
OUTPUTS, cont.
Destination
Weight or Volume/year
Disposal
cost/year
Comments
Reused (outside your
organization)
Recycled
Composted
Waste to Energy
Landfilled
Other (please
specify)
Material
Building &
Construction
Chemicals
Electronics
Furnishings
Industrial
Machinery
Inorganics (e.g.,
sand, glass, etc)
Metals
Organics &
Agriculture
Packaging
Materials
Paint & Ink
Paper/cardboard
Plastics & rubber
Textiles & Fibers
Wood Products
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Misc. & Other
Total
Amount
by wt.
Reused
Recycled
Composted
Waste to
Energy
(Incinerated)
Landfill
Materials Identified from Resource Flow Diagram
Material
INPUTS
Top 3 Inputs by weight
Top 3 Inputs by Value
OUTPUTS
Top 3 Outputs by weight
Top 3 Outputs by value
Amount by
wt.
Virgin
Sustainably
sourced
Reused
feedstock
Waste
Recycle
Reuse
$$ value
Amount by
wt.
$$ value
Challenges with By-product synergy:
Challenges
Cannot find anyone to take by-products
Do not have enough by-products
Lack of storage space
Not enough information about potential partners
Too much effort to prepare for reuse
Regulatory barriers prevent exchange
No apparent cost benefit
Conflicting regulations makes it uncertain
*Note: 1 - Disagree strongly; 5 - Agree strongly
Rate Each Challenge*