The Pollution Prevention Act was put in place by the U.S. Congress in 1990.  It was passed for the purpose of preventing the creation of pollution.  This represented a new approach; previously, all anti-pollution efforts had aimed to treat and reduce already existing pollution.  But many activists, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator William K. Reilly, thought that the new approach would be a better means of environmental and human protection from pollution.

Prior to the passage of this Act, the EPA began making efforts to reduce pollution.  However, reports showed that the agency needed to take more such steps, and the following actions were recommended: manufacturing and equipment changes, product substitutions, and better industrial housekeeping.  It was suggested that these steps would, quite possibly, save companies expense in the long run by greatly reducing pollution control costs and making for a healthier environment.  A ten percent reduction of hazardous wastes per year for five years was the projected outcome of a law following these guidelines.  The Pollution Prevention Act was intended to help with this, as well as to overcome roadblocks of lack of knowledge and awareness.  It accomplished this through gathering information.

The Act also created an EPA office to look after this project.  The law includes: a grant program for states developing their own such programs; technical assistance for businesses; a Source Reduction Clearinghouse, for the purpose of circulating reduction information; an advisory committee; a pollution prevention training program; and awards to businesses with outstanding source reduction to be awarded annually.  Also, businesses using toxic substances were given new standards for reporting substances released and recycled, how they prevented the creation of toxic pollutants, and how they gained source reduction knowledge. 

The EPA is required to periodically report on the progress of the program and was given $16 million dollars for each of the following three years to establish the programs.

The text of the law