Toxics use reduction

Toxics use reduction refers to a program or set of activities aimed at reducing, avoiding, or eliminating the use of toxic substances in processes or products. The goal is to decrease overall risks to the health of workers, consumers, and the environment without simply shifting those risks to other parties. Techniques used in toxics use reduction may include process recycling, effective operations and maintenance, production unit redesign or modification, production unit modernization, and input substitution or product reformulation.From: Illustrated Dictionary and Resource Directory of Environmental and Occupational Health [2019], Handbook of Environmental Engineering [2019], Environmental Toxicology [2019]

Pollution Prevention Planning

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Published in Thomas E. Higgins, Jayanti A. Sachdev, Stephen A. Engleman, Toxic Chemicals, 2016

Thomas E. Higgins, Jayanti A. Sachdev, Stephen A. Engleman

The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) (1989) requires that facilities that use large quantities of toxic chemicals prepare a toxic use reduction plan designed to reduce their wastes and use of toxic chemicals.

The nexus between alternatives assessment and green chemistry: supporting the development and adoption of safer chemicals

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Published in Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 2021

Joel A. Tickner, Rachel V. Simon, Molly Jacobs, Lindsey D. Pollard, Saskia K. van Bergen

Similarly, in the field of alternatives assessment, practical application of alternatives, including technical feasibility, are often-overlooked components (3). The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, which works with Massachusetts companies to evaluate and support adoption of safer chemistries, has found that overcoming technical barriers in collaboration with companies is critical to the successful adoption of safer alternatives (95, 96). Alternatives assessment provides a framework to systematically consider performance, technical feasibility, economic considerations (such as reformulation and scalability), and potential trade-offs in adoption (e.g. changes to manufacturing processes or working conditions) of a safer option. Additionally, by starting the analysis with a specific chemical of concern in a specific application, alternatives assessment sets the baseline for improvements against the incumbent option, providing refined parameters for function and toxicity.

Toxics use reduction

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Pollution Prevention Planning

The nexus between alternatives assessment and green chemistry: supporting the development and adoption of safer chemicals