Pollution Prevention

Paper Summary:

The paper attempts to show how the best approach to pollution prevention is one that cost-effectively reduces waste, minimizes worker exposure to toxic materials, optimizes the use of materials, improves a product's competitiveness in local and world markets, and enhances a company's image of responsibility to the community. The paper outlines the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) that regulates solid and hazardous wastes from generation through disposal. The paper also offers a case study in waste reduction and discusses the tool of life-cycle analysis. The paper concludes that more accountability is a best practice that will fulfill all the criteria outlined above.

Outline:
Objective
Introduction
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Case Study in Waste Reduction
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is a federal environmental law that regulates solid and hazardous wastes from generation through disposal. Hazardous wastes are divided into to categories: (1) listed and (2) characteristic. Characteristic Hazardous wastes are stated to exhibit "one or more of the four hazardous characteristics" which are those of: (1) ignitability; (2) corrosivity; (3) reactivity and (4) toxicity. (Ohio EPA, nd) Listed hazardous wastes are stated to be listed specifically by name or process in the hazardous waste regulations." Pollution prevention is stated to use "source reduction and environmentally sound recycling to reduce or eliminate hazardous waste and other pollution at the source. Pollution prevention, also termed P2 is stated to include "good operating practices, material substitutions, process changes and recycling." (Ohio EPA, nd) P2 further addresses "all waste streams" including solid and hazardous waste, air and water." (Ohio EPA, nd) "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Case Histories of Cost Saving Through Waste Reduction by Tennessee Industries (1997) a Joint Project of The Tennessee Department of Environment and ConservationTennessee Valley Authority Industrial Waste Reduction and The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services 1997. Center for Industrial Services. Online available at: www.cis.utk.edu.
• Woodworking and Refinishing Pollution Prevention Opportunities (nd) Office of Pollution Prevention, Ohio Environmental Protection AgencyP.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio, 43216-1049, (614) 644-3469, www.epa.state.oh.us/opp
• Norris, Gregory A. (2004) Socio-Economic Impacts in Product and Building Life Cycles: Broadening from Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Sustainable LCA in GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy Sustainable Development and Society October 2004. Online available at: http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/ogp/SUSTDEVELOPMENTANDSOCIETYACCESSIBLEVERSION.doc
• Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines Waste Management Facilities (2007) International Finance Corporation. World Bank Group 10 Dec 2007.

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