About Pollution Prevention

Pollution prevention is a series of techniques used to reduce or eliminate pollution generated. In contrast to most pollution control strategies that manage a pollutant’s effect on the environment after it is generated, pollution prevention seeks to increase the efficiency of a process to reduce or eliminate the pollutant before it becomes waste to be managed. Pollution prevention can be practiced not only by industries, but also individuals. Simply changing a traditional incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent light (CFL) is pollution prevention.

National Pollution Prevention Policy

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 established a national policy that:

• pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible;
• pollution that cannot be prevented should be recycled in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible;
• pollution that cannot be prevented or recycled should be treated in an environmentally safe manner whenever feasible; and
• disposal or other release into the environment should be employed only as a last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally safe manner.

Pollution Prevention Methods

• Design. Products, buildings and manufacturing systems can be made resource-efficient throughout their life cycle by incorporating environmental considerations into their design.
• Process Changes. Rethinking manufacturing processes can create ways to reduce production waste, cutting both pollution and costs.
• Materials Substitution. Alternative materials for cleaning, coating, lubrication and other production processes can provide equivalent results while preventing costly hazardous waste generation, air emissions, and worker health risks.
• Materials Reuse. Find another way to reuse materials on site; for example, distillation of used solvents. Or, capture heat from discharge water or gases to be reused in another part of the manufacturing process.
• Resource Efficiency. Using energy, water and other production inputs more efficiently helps keep air and water clean, reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, cuts operating costs, and improves productivity.
• Improved Work Practices. Rethinking day-to-day operations and maintenance activities can help managers root out wasteful management practices that drive up costs and cause pollution.

For Tips on Pollution Prevention check out Green Tips.

Contacts

Jan DeLaney (Jan.DeLaney@dep.state.fl.us)
Program Manager
(850)245-2058

Lisa Galocy (Lisa.Galocy@dep.state.fl.us)
Environmental Specialist
(850) 245-2135

Brad Stombock (Lawrence.Stombock@dep.state.fl.us)
Environmental Specialist
(850) 245-2116  

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