The Pollution Prevention Act establishes the national policy that pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible. Preventing pollution offers important economic benefits, as pollution never created avoids the need for expensive investments in waste management or cleanup. Pollution prevention is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream. EPA has a number programs designed to educate manufacturers on industrial processes that prevent pollution by saving energy, encourage environmentally preferable purchasing, and provide technical assistance to state agencies and businesses.
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