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Pollution Prevention Packaging Act

The Pollution Protection Packaging Act was established in 1970 to reduce the amount of pollution caused by packaging. According to the EPA, the act pertained to industries, government, and public focus groups to reduce the amount of pollution through production, operation and raw material use. Since 1990, the act has been known as the Pollution Prevention Act.

  1. Toxins in Packaging

    • For decades, packaging materials used to have many toxic metals that contaminated the environment and caused public health problems. Cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury where the major contributors often found in plastic, Styrofoam and other packaging supplies. In 2006 a law was passed prohibiting the use of these metals in packaging.

    Source Reduction

    • Because of many regulations already established, industries found it more cost effective to treat and dispose of toxic packaging than to reduce the amount of toxins. The reduction of source pollution became the backbone of the Pollution Prevention Packaging Act to encourage industries to stop using heavy metals. Source reduction includes modifications to equipment and procedures, and the redesign of packaging products to avert pollution.

    Pollution Prevention

    • Pollution Prevention (often referred to as P2) is the reduction of waste and prevention of toxins from entering the environment through in-process recycling, product substitution and waste segregation. The EPA instructs that if pollution cannot be prevented, products should be recycled, with disposal used only as a last resort.

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