Section 3: Source Reduction/Pollution Prevention

Chemicals with Largest Percentage Decrease in Waste Managed

This figure shows the five chemicals with the greatest percentage decrease in waste quantities in recent years (from 2010 to 2013). Decreases in waste management quantities can be caused by many factors, including changes in production levels or estimation methods. Source reduction activities implemented by facilities have also played a significant role in reducing waste generation.

The relationship between source reduction, changes in total waste generation, and chemical releases varies from chemical to chemical.

• In many cases, reducing the generation of total waste through source reduction also decreases the amount of chemical ultimately released to the environment. For example, releases of trichloroethylene (a carcinogen that is released primarily to air) declined by 19% over the same period that total waste managed declined by 16%.
• In cases where pollution is already being effectively controlled through management methods such as treatment and recycling, source reduction may reduce the amount of total chemical waste but does not significantly decrease chemical releases. For example, cobalt (another carcinogen) is managed almost exclusively through recycling at TRI facilities. While the total quantity of cobalt waste decreased by 19%, releases declined by only 2%.
• Finally, the quantity of releases can decrease at a greater rate than the quantity of total waste generated. For example, production-related waste of hydrochloric acid decreased by about 10% while releases decreased by 38%, as facilities switched from releasing hydrochloric acid to preferred management methods, such as treatment, and also undertook source reduction activities.

Source reduction activities reported for these five chemicals are shown in the next figure.

This page was published in January 2015 and uses the 2013 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2014.