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'Pollution prevention' (P2) is a term used to describe a series of techniques that are used to reduce the amount of pollution generated. In contrast to most pollution control strategies, which seek to manage a pollutant and reduce its impact upon the environment, the pollution prevention approach seeks to increase the efficiency of a process, thereby reducing the amount of pollution generated. Although there is wide agreement that source reduction is the preferred strategy, some professionals also use the term pollution prevention to include recycling or reuse.
As an environmental management strategy, pollution prevention shares many attributes with cleaner production, a term used more commonly outside the United States. Pollution prevention encompasses more specialized sub-disciplines including green chemistry and green design (also known as environmentally conscious design).

Contents

Legislation

Advantages

Implemention

See also

References

External links

Legislation

The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990 was passed to encourage pollution prevention in the United States. Since then several states have adopted pollution prevention legislation^[1].
The PPA establishes a pollution prevention hierarchy:
#Source Reduction – waste (hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminants) should be prevented at the source (i.e. prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal)
#Recycling – waste generated should be reused either in the process that created it or in another process
# Treatment – waste that cannot be recycled should be treated to reduce its hazard
#Disposal – waste that is not treated should be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.
Some consider that incineration is a form of recycling (converting waste to energy), others a form of treatment (converting a hazardous substance to carbon dioxide, water, and ash).

Advantages

One advantage of pollution prevention is that it often leads to profitability. Manufacturing facilities may use pollution prevention to more efficiently produce an item. Pollution prevention can reduce use of energy, water and other raw materials, saving a company money. It is therefore considered a win-win situation.

Implemention

Pollution prevention implementation can be challenging and often involves a team approach. The most successful companies usually follow a pollution prevention planning process^[2]. This process may include analysis of the waste, its source, brainstorming for ideas from employees, total cost accounting and other tools for identifying options for reducing pollution.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has a number of P2 programs that can assist individuals and organizations to implement P2^[3].

See also

★ Cleaner production

★ Environmentalism

★ Energy conservation

★ Green chemistry

★ Pollution control

★ Recycling

★ Waste management

★
★ Extended producer responsibility

★
★ Pay As You Throw

References

External links

★ United States National Pollution Prevention Information Center

★ United States Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center

★ NPPR Finds P2 Programs Effective

★ P2Gems Pollution prevention directory

★ Southwest Network for Zero Waste

★ Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center (P2RIC)