Source Reduction Activities Reported
Facilities are required to report new source reduction activities that they initiated or fully implemented during the year. Source reduction (also referred to as pollution prevention) includes activities that eliminate or reduce the use of TRI-listed chemicals and the generation of chemical waste. Other waste management practices, such as recycling and treatment, refer to how chemical waste is managed after it is generated and are not considered source reduction activities. The source reduction information the TRI Program collects can help facilities learn from each other’s best practices and potentially reduce their own chemical releases.
For more information, see the TRI Source Reduction Reporting Fact Sheet.
Note: Facilities report their source reduction activities by selecting codes that describe their activities. These codes are organized into eight categories listed in the graph legend and are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.
- In 2019, 1,325 facilities (6% of all facilities that reported to TRI) implemented a combined 3,285 new source reduction activities.
- On their reporting forms, facilities select from 49 types of source reduction activities across the 8 categories shown in the graph. The most reported source reduction category is Good Operating Practices.
- For example, a fabricated metal parts manufacturer used an automated system for applying sulfuric acid which improved operating efficiency and minimized sulfuric acid usage in the plating process. [Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool]
- Facilities also report the methods by which source reduction activities are identified. In 2019, the most commonly reported method for identifying source reduction opportunities was participative team management. Internal pollution prevention audits and vendor assistance were also commonly reported.
Additional Resources
- See the TRI P2 Data Overview Factsheet for more information on source reduction reporting in recent years.
- Note that facilities may have implemented source reduction activities in earlier years which are ongoing or completed projects. To see details of source reduction activities implemented for this year or in previous years, use the TRI P2 Search Tool.
This page was published in January 2021 and uses the 2019 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2020.