The purpose of pollution prevention and waste reduction as stated in the Departments Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan is to “prevent or reduce pollution at the source whenever feasible. Pollutants and wastes that cannot be prevented through source reduction will be diverted from entering the waste stream through environmentally safe and cost-effective reuse or recycling to the greatest extent practicable." The DOE Pollution Prevention, Waste Reduction and Recycling Program supports Executive Order (E.O.) 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade; DOE Order 436.1, Department Sustainability; and, the Department’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (SSPP). Under this Program, Headquarters assists DOE Field and Program Offices in the implementation of the specific goals identified in both of the Orders.
The main goals of this Program are to reduce or eliminate the acquisition, use, and release of toxic, and other pollutants, and to increase the Department’s use of less toxic alternative chemicals and processes in achieving DOE’s FY 2020 SSPP Goal 7 reduction targets. Interim (2015) goals for the diversion of waste from the landfill by recycling or re-use are:
- at least 50% diversion of non-hazardous solid waste; and,
- at least 50% diversion of construction and demolition debris.
Meeting these goals will be accomplished by working with DOE’s Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act/Toxic Release Inventory Workgroup, the Energy Facility Contractors Group, the Chemical Safety Life Cycle Management Group, and other environmental subgroups.