Pollution Prevention Overview
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 13101 (b):
"The Congress hereby declares it to be the national policy of the United States 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 release into the environment should be employed only as a last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally safe manner."
P2 is a new approach to waste management. Traditionally, waste was dealt with at the end of the pipe. Pollution prevention is about preventing the generation of waste in the first place. This can be done through more efficient use of resources. For example, if a production process is altered to use fifty percent less fuel, then fifty percent less carbon dioxide will be emitted to the atmosphere. Pollution prevention can also be attained through toxicity reduction. In some industrial settings, citrus cleaners have been substituted for toxic solvents as metal cleaners. The result is a citrus/oil mix, rather than the highly hazardous solvent/oil mix and this reduces the opportunity for environmental contamination. Another method is to recycle. This turns potential waste into a new product and conserves natural resources.
Since the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 was passed, the concept of P2 has been incorporated into legislation, EPA programs, and the vision of how environmental problem solving should be approached. For more information, please see the EPA's Website on P2.
In recent years, sections of the Harvard Community have begun to implement P2 programs. The solid waste recycling has been very successful. Recycling rates on the Harvard campus have gone from 1% in 1989 to 24% in 1997. Other areas of focus are student lifestyles, laboratory activities, facilities operation, and construction practices. Facility operators have been increasing the resource efficiency of buildings by installing low-flow water fixtures and energy saving lights. Chemistry laboratories doing extensive work to limit the risk of environmental contamination. As with many programs at Harvard, the current P2 program is very diverse. This Website is a resource to be used by all members of the Harvard community in order to promote P2. It contains extensive information and training on P2 implementation.
