TIPS: 48 Things You Can Do

Enlist support for pollution prevention from top management. Have them demonstrate that support by providing a written policy statement.
Appoint an unsinkable champion and give that champion the power to implement.
Keep hammering away at the non-believers--be patient and persistent.
Believe in yourself.
Identify and publicize low-tech or retro-technology options in place of high impact processes.
Seek a fundamental understanding of the sources of waste.
Focus on optimizing the use of resources consumed in your process.
Use pollution prevention as a competitive strategy in public relations and to attract a better caliber work- force.
Devote adequate resources (people, money and energy) to pollution prevention.
Set up a structure for recycling that also compliments source reduction.

Establish a clear pollution prevention goal that everyone in the organization feels empowered to put into practice.
Re-establish the culture of not wasting.
Instill a philosophy of continuous improvement.
Link zero discharge, total quality management, and pollution prevention into a working program.
Publicize pollution prevention accomplishments.
Convince all personnel that they have a role to play in pollution prevention; no one is exempt from pollution prevention, no matter what the job.
Share money saved through pollution prevention with the originator(s) of the idea.
Incorporate pollution prevention into performance evaluations for middle management.
Establish teams to promote pollution prevention , receive ideas and solicit suggestions, evaluate projects and champion implementation.
Have top management personally hand out all pollution prevention awards; participate in state/regional awards programs.

Produce innovative and exciting training for teaching pollution prevention concepts.
Have primary contractors train and assist sub-contractors to do pollution prevention.
Educate each individual on what pollution prevention means.

Use expert systems and process simulation modeling to develop effective pollution prevention strategies.
Use and develop life cycle studies for processes and products.
Develop and implement methods for measuring progress to support continued pollution prevention investments.
Develop performance-based specifications rather than prescriptive/design specifications.
Set a goal: Think of a bubble around your facility--nothing comes out but finished product.
Plan your waste reduction work and work your waste reduction plan.
Use expert systems to assist the design of new processes that avoid pollution in the first place.
Design products with zero ultimate waste potential, with cradle-to-grave functionality.
Incorporate pollution prevention into the development of new products and processes.
Assign life cycle responsibility to production management, linked to cost and liability.
Charge the true cost of the waste created to the operating unit and make operating units responsible for liabilities, management, and costs of waste streams.
Develop analytical tools for accountants and financial managers to recognize full environmental costs of unwanted environmental programs.