Pollution prevention (P2) is good for business. The following P2 ideas can help you save money and improve employee and public relations.
Avoid using aerosol spray cans.
Buy low-emission equipment.
Conserve energy and purchase energy efficient equipment.
Drive less; cars and trucks cause approximately half of our smog-forming air pollution.
Educate yourself and your employees; learn as much as possible about air pollution.
Focus on pollution prevention. Ask yourself, “Is this the most efficient way to do this?”
Give employees incentives to find new pollution prevention ideas.
Have your vendor give you information on water-based or
low-polluting alternatives to the solvents, coatings, adhesives, and paints you use.
Increase efficiency and minimize waste.
Join government-industry partnerships for innovative ways to reduce pollution and save money.
Keep all solvents, paints, and adhesives covered when not in use.
Label all containers to prevent mistakes that might result in wastes requiring disposal.
Maintain equipment and processes in good working order to avoid leaks and spills.
Never top-off your car’s tank when buying gasoline.
Oil: recycle it. Contact the Community Environmental Council, 805-963-0583, for information on how and where to recycle your used motor oil.
Publicize your pollution prevention efforts.
Quantify the amount of pollution and waste your business creates. How can you reduce waste and save money through lower permit and disposal costs?
Reduce, reuse, and recycle paper, aluminum, cardboard, glass, and more! Landfills and the transport of solid waste cause air pollution, too.
Smog Check: participate in the Smog Check program and do not remove smog control equipment. Tampering is illegal, expensive, and does not improve a car’s performance.
Telecommute: work at home when your work allows it. Help develop a telecommuting pilot project for your company.
Use a broom; leafblowers stir up fine particles and move the problem somewhere else. In an hour, a gas powered leaf blower can pollute as much as some cars.
Vanpool; help set up vanpools for employees with long commutes. Call 805-963-SAVE.
When replacing equipment, buy energy-efficient or low-polluting models.
Xeriscape with slow-growing, drought-tolerant plants to save water and reduce yard waste.
Your efforts make a difference!
Zero emissions: the next time you buy a car, consider a partial
zero-emission vehicle (PZEV) or Super Ultra Low Emission vehicle (SULEV).
Remember, a P2 program is never finished. It is an ongoing and integral part of the way you do business.
For more information on what you can do to prevent pollution, or for a copy of our more detailed
introduction to Pollution Prevention at Your Business, e-mail or call the APCD’s
Business Assistance Line at 805-961-8868.
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