Pollution Prevention Act of 1990

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA) in the United States created a national policy to have pollution prevented or reduced at the source wherever possible. It also expanded the Toxics Release Inventory. The Pollution Prevention Act focused industry, government, and public attention on reducing the amount of pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials use. Opportunities for source reduction are often not realized because of existing regulations, and the industrial resources required for compliance, focus on treatment and disposal.
Some efforts the Environmental Protection Agency makes to build prevention practices include permitting, regulations, technical assistance, and enforcement. The agency also encourages businesses to reduce pollution at the source. The agency also makes efforts to link pollution prevention to public information about chemicals.