Publications

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2008 Sector Strategies Performance Report

This report provides information on the environmental performance of some of America's leading manufacturing and nonmanufacturing sectors. Together, the 12 sectors profiled represent more than 856,000 entities, employ more than 12.6 million people, and contribute more than $2.5 trillion annually to the U.S. economy. This report is an important tool for measuring the performance of these sectors and for determining how we can build on that progress going forward.

Developed by EPA's Sector Strategies Division, in cooperation with sector trade associations and many other stakeholders, this report provides a comprehensive look at the environmental impacts and trends of each sector. The data, drawn primarily from government databases, show many improvements in performance, such as emissions reductions for many pollutants, both in terms of the total amounts emitted and per individual unit of production.

Download the 2008 Sector Performance Report

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Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Key Industrial Sectors in the United States

This report seeks to provide greenhouse gas (GHG) emission profiles for key sectors of U.S. industry (including indirect emissions from electricity consumption), which combined accounted for 29% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2002, more than any other economic sector. Emission profiles are provided for 14 key industrial sectors.

Download the full report (WORKING DRAFT) (PDF) (132 pp, 1.5MB, About PDF)

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EMS: Systematically Improving your Performance

In 2003-2004, Sector Strategies released brochures highlighting the benefits of EMS implementation at various industrial facilities. The brochures, titled Environmental Management Systems: Systematically Improving your Performance, were created in partnership with multiple trade associations.

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Sector Strategies Connector

The Sector Strategies Connector is a means to keep you informed about the Sector Strategies Program. Over time, we want the Connector to be a venue for others to share information as well.

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Voluntary Programs Guide

Voluntary programs are an important component of EPA's ongoing efforts to work with industry sectors to address environmental challenges. We have heard from our partners in industry that targeted tools are needed to help facilities and companies choose the right voluntary program for themselves. The EPA Voluntary Programs Guide: Chemical Sector identifies those programs that are most relevant to the specialty-batch chemical sector. This guide is intended to serve as a one-stop source for environmental managers in the specialty-batch chemical who seek to improve their company's environmental performance through a collaborative relationship with EPA.

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Beneficial Reuse

Beneficial Reuse of Industrial Byproducts in the Gulf Coast Region
The Sector Strategies report: Beneficial Reuse of Industrial Byproducts in the Gulf Coast Region describes how participating sectors can turn "would be wastes" into substitutes for raw materials and/or sources of energy. This report identifies the major industrial byproduct streams for 9 major sectors that have a significant presence in the Gulf coast region. The report summarizes state beneficial material reuse programs in that region, and offers a detailed summary of factors that support or inhibit the creation of market connections to the reuse of industrial byproducts (i.e., drivers & barriers). The report is intended to provide information to state and federal regulators, trade associations, and other stakeholders to support and promote beneficial material reuse.
Download the full report (PDF) (116 pp, 1.8MB, About PDF)

Beneficial Reuse Forum
The Forum was designed to hear directly from industry experts on barriers to resource conservation and to identify and address crosscutting issues. Here is a summary of key themes (PDF) (12 pp, 263K, About PDF) and some (though not all) background dialogue.

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Archived Documents

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Sector Strategies Performance Report

Using government and industry data, as well as case study examples, the Sector Strategies Performance Report provides a 10-year portrait of environmental performance for 11 sectors. It tracks each sector for their record in reducing water discharges, air emissions, waste generation, toxic chemical releases, as well as their accomplishments in recycling and energy and water efficiency.

The 2006 report also provides a first-time look at how EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data can be used to target the greatest hazard reduction opportunities when managing chemicals. EPA is using toxicity-weighted scores to show release trends for higher impact substances. This information can serve as a tool for future strategic planning. The 2006 report also describes how sectors are turning would-be wastes into material and energy inputs, and how trade associations are helping their members improve environmental operations.

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EPA Sector Program Plan 2001-2005

In the fall of 2000, the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), an EPA Federal Advisory Committee, endorsed EPA's Sector Plan 2001-2005. The Plan completes the transition from experimental to everyday use of sector approaches as part of the Agency's mainstream activities. NACEPT provided the EPA Administrator with six recommendations for improving the application of sector-based programs for improved environmental protection. For more information, contact Kathleen Bailey (bailey.kathleen@epa.gov, 202-566-2953) or use the contact form.