OCR Text |
Show Control saves money Pollution prevention makes good business dollars and sense. Residents have for some time been aware that preventing pollution was an environmentally correct thing to do. An added incentive to busi- nesses to do the "correct" thing is the cost reward. The high cost of complying with waste regulations and the loss of raw materials not only hurt the environment en-vironment but take profit dollars from companies. It is the disregard for air, water and land that must be thrown away, as opposed to reusable materials being be-ing thrown away. The U.S. Environmental Protection Protec-tion Agency published information defining pollution prevention. The objective of pollution prevention is : to cut out pollutants and wastes at ) the source as much as possible. Pollution prevention means either reduction in volume, reduction reduc-tion in toxicity or both. The practice of pollution prevention preven-tion improves business efficiency by wasting less materials and energy to achieve the same production. produc-tion. An added bonus to businesses is that pollution prevention is efficient effi-cient The EPA has established an environmental en-vironmental protection hierarchy that can reduce the generation of pollution and wastes in businesses. Source reduction is considered first. Reduction measures keep wastes and pollutants from being created through improved housekeeping, raw- material substitutions, and improved technologies. Environmentally-sound recycling is considered after implementation of source reduction measures. Recycling might include reuse of a waste as an ingredient in another process, or reclamation and reuse of constituent fractions. Treatment and control will still be necessary to minimize risks from wastes which cannot be reasonably reduced or recycled. The disposal of wastes, even in accordance with environmental protection pro-tection standards, is a last resort. |