Answering these questions should help you evaluate how you are doing on pollution prevention (i.e. Source reduction – reducing or eliminating waste generation). Hopefully, they will give you ideas for new or additional pollution prevention practices.

General

• Do you have a pollution prevention policy?
• Do you have a pollution plan or program?
• Are your employees actively involved in pollution prevention?
• Do you have any employee award or recognition program for accomplishments in pollution prevention?
• Have you considered pollution prevention as a way to:
  1. change your hazardous waste generator status?
  2. save money?
  3. achieve regulatory compliance and avoid add-on controls?
  4. meet permit conditions?

Purchasing

• Does your purchasing policy include pollution prevention concerns?
• Do your suppliers provide substitute materials that are less/non toxic?
• Will your suppliers take back damaged or outdated materials?
• Do your purchasing, environmental, and inventory control personnel communicate with each other to ensure orders match inventory needs without overstocking and having materials become wastes due to limited shelf life?

Waste Tracking and Management

• Can you trace your wastes and emissions back to their source?
• Do your consultants or trade groups help you prevent pollution?
• Do you separate toxic materials from non-toxic materials?
• Do you consistently emphasize the importance of good housekeeping practices and safe materials handling to your employees?
• Have you developed any new technology for pollution prevention that may be patentable or shared with other industry groups?

Public Relations

• Do you promote your products(s), or your firm, as being environmentally friendly?
• Do your customers demand products that are manufactured in a less polluting process and contain less/no toxic substances, and do you respond to those requests?
• Do you have any success stories on pollution prevention that you can publicize or share?
• Are you concerned about the level of emissions listed on your Toxic Release Inventory forms?  Have you thought about pollution prevention as a way to lower these numbers and make you a better member of your community?

Follow-up

• Would you like more information on pollution prevention?
• Can the Delaware Pollution Prevention Program provide you with additional guidance or written materials?