The Port of Camas-Washougal has been selected as one of seven Washington communities to participate in a state-funded initiative to explore industrial symbiosis, a process where businesses share resources such as energy, water, and materials to reduce waste. According to reporting by the Camas Post-Record, the port will spend approximately one year working with the Washington Department of Commerce’s Industrial Symbiosis Technical Assistance program to identify local opportunities for these partnerships. The project is funded through the state’s Climate Commitment Act and is intended to help the port attract new industries while lowering operating costs for existing businesses. By treating byproducts as resources rather than waste, the program aims to improve the economic and environmental efficiency of local industrial operations. The Port of Camas-Washougal is joined in the program by the ports of Bellingham, Moses Lake, and Pend Oreille, as well as projects in Thurston County, Spokane, and Wenatchee. The technical assistance phase is expected to last between 10 and 12 months.