Pollution prevention in the US

Pollution prevention (P2) describes activities that reduce the amount of pollution generated by a process, whether it is consumer consumption, driving, or industrial production. In contrast to most pollution control strategies, which seek to manage a pollutant after it is formed 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 at its source. 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).

The US Environmental Protection Agency has a number of P2 programs that can assist individuals and organizations to implement P2.

See also

• Source reduction
• Cleaner production
• Environmentalism
• Energy conservation
• Green chemistry
• Industrial Ecology
• Pollution control
• Recycling
• Waste management
  • Extended producer responsibility
  • Pay As You Throw
  • Clean Water Act of 1972

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)
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