Pollution Prevention is an Essential Component of Sustainability.
Pollution prevention as a term has become less used recently, supplanted by sustainability. However, the fundamental idea of preventing pollution rather than trying to address problems caused by pollution is essential for efficient, economically viable development, ie Sustainable Development.
It makes sense, both economically and environmentally, to.
- Reduce the input of materials and energy
- Minimize the amount of waste for treatment and disposal
- Reuse or sympathetically dispose/treat of wastes
Many programmes and processes to prevent pollution at source are becoming readily available. Costs for extra raw materials, waste disposal, and waste treatment systems can be eliminated or substantially reduced.
Experience has taught us that pollution prevention should not be an add-on. Proactive pollution prevention when integrated into the business processes and the responsibilities of the people who manage them can make a fundamental difference to the bottom line, ie the ultimate Sustainability test for a business.
- Pollution prevention is therefore an essential component of sustainability.