Pollution prevention means source reduction. Waste minimization means reduction, to the extent feasible, of any solid or hazardous waste prior to any treatment, storage, or disposal.
Source reduction is usually preferable to recycling from an environmental perspective.
Recycling is less desirable because the generation of waste still occurs and the recycling process results in waste residues. Recycling includes the use or reuse of the material as an effective substitute for a commercial product, or as an ingredient or feedstock in a process. It includes the reclamation of useful constituents within a waste material, or removal of contaminants from a waste to allow it to be reused. In the past, the basic purchasing consideration for chemicals was cost, with little or no attention given to the expenses and liability incurred during disposal. As a result, chemicals were often purchased in large quantities.