At the state level, too, there is new pollution prevention activity. Regulatory activity at both the state and federal levels is expected to continue to increase in the coming months. But recent legislation is not the only driving force behind pollution prevention. As many companies recognized even before the government stepped in, pollution prevention can bring significant economic benefits. Dollars spent on pollution prevention measures can be recovered through decreased costs of disposal, administration, and liability.
Public relations is another important reason that companies now emphasize pollution prevention.
Since the public unveiling of the first Toxics Release Inventory five years ago, many companies have made public commitments to significantly reduce toxic emissions. Both concepts represent paradigm shifts, replacing traditional ways of seeing and doing things. During operational improvements, made in thousands of laboratories and plants across the country, are the real story behind pollution prevention. Based on discussions with experts around the country, here are some specific waste reduction suggestions for today's chemists. If you work in a laboratory, you can reduce waste even before you begin your first chemical reaction.