DEP: Getting Started With P2

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Environmental Protection

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Hartford, CT 06106-5127

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Getting Started with Pollution Prevention (P2)

You can bring pollution prevention (P2) practices into your life at work, at school and at home. Sometimes our environmental challenges can seem so overwhelming that it's hard to know where to begin.

But even small changes, can have a big impact on protecting our environment. Here are some ways to get started:

P2 At Home

Many individuals and families may be practicing P2 at home without even realizing it. Do you:

buy clean energy from your electric supplier?
dispose of unwanted medicines properly?
avoid chemicals on your lawn and in your garden?
clean with vinegar and baking soda instead of toxic products?
bring your own reusable bags instead of the paper or plastic ones offered at the store?

Then you are already practicing pollution prevention! We have many more ideas for you about how to prevent pollution, including solutions for how to dispose, recycle or reuse anything from A to Z.

P2 At Work

Many businesses, large and small, can save money, operate more efficiently and protect the environment by thinking prevention rather than control. Some examples of P2 practices are:

Switching to less hazardous materials;
Changing the production process to improve efficiency and reduce toxic substances;
Installing more efficient equipment to produce less waste and use less energy;
Redesigning products to reduce certain raw materials in products or packaging.

Here are just a few resources to get your business thinking about pollution prevention:

EPA's Environmental Management Systems (EMS) describes what a EMS is and how EMS processes and practices can help an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.
The EPA, Sectors Strategies Program provides information about how to improve environmental protection, energy efficiency, and resource management in major U.S. manufacturing and business sectors.
The Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC) is a non-profit organization that is a source of high quality, unbiased pollution prevention information.
P2 GEMS is a guide to hundreds of P2 resources on the web.
TURI has information on reducing the use of toxic chemicals, energy and water while enhancing the economic competitiveness of businesses. They aslo have data on toxics use, case studies, green alternatives and clean technology.

Check out more pollution prevention resources for business and industry. We also have information for hospitals and health care, including the CT Hospital Environmental Roundtable.