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The 33/50 Program
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
The 33/50 Program was a groundbreaking initiative that targeted 17 chemicals reported to the Toxics Release Inventory. EPA asked companies to participate voluntarily in a national effort to reduce the releases and transfers of these chemicals. The program represented a departure from the traditional environmental approach of command and control toward a more cooperative relationship between industry and the Government.
There were two numeric goals, giving the 33/50 Program its name. Using the 1988 TRI data as a baseline, the program sought to achieve a 33% national reduction in releases and transfers by 1992 and a 50% reduction by 1995. Companies were asked to make their own goals, with some companies pledging a 100% decrease in releases and transfers for the 17 chemicals they reported to TRI. EPA encouraged companies to meet these commitments through pollution prevention whenever possible.
The 1995 goal translated to a reduction of 750 million pounds from the nearly 1.5 billion pounds reported to TRI for the 17 chemicals in 1988. The goal, however, was surpassed, with the national releases and transfers actually declining by 824 million pounds (55%). For the 1996 TRI data, the trend continued. Between 1988 and 1996, the releases and transfers as reported to TRI for the 17 chemicals decreased by 896 million pounds (60%).