Source Reduction Activities by Chemical and Industry

Source Reduction Activities by Chemical

This figure shows the number of source reduction activities for the chemicals with the highest source reduction reporting rates over the last five years by the type of activity.

 

Note: 1) Limited to chemicals with at least 100 reports of source reduction activities from 2019 to 2023. 2) In this figure, antimony is combined with antimony compounds, although metals and compounds of the same metal are listed separately on the TRI list. 3) Facilities report their source reduction activities by selecting from a list of codes that describe their activities. These codes fall into one of five categories listed in the graph legend and are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.

From 2019 to 2023:

  • Facilities reported 17,059 source reduction activities for more than 240 chemicals and chemical categories.
  • Chemicals with the highest source reduction reporting rates included certain glycol ethers, styrene, n-butyl alcohol, antimony, and dichloromethane.
  • The types of source reduction activities implemented for these chemicals vary depending on the chemicals’ characteristics and how they are used. For example:
    • Process and Equipment Modifications, including optimizing reaction conditions and modifying equipment, layout, or piping, can help reduce the amount of solvents such as n-butyl alcohol or dichloromethane needed for a process.
    • Material Substitutions and Modifications include the use of alternative materials in the manufacturing process, such as replacing styrene, a chemical used to make plastics, and replacing antimony compounds, which are used as a component of flame retardants, batteries, and electronics.

Facilities may also report additional details about their source reduction activities in an optional text field of the TRI reporting form.

Examples of optional source reduction information for 2023:

You can compare facilities’ waste management methods and trends for any TRI chemical by using the TRI P2 Search Tool.

Source Reduction Activities by Industry

This figure shows the number of source reduction activities reported by the industries with the highest source reduction reporting rates over the last five years.

 

Note: 1) Limited to industries with at least 100 source reduction activities reported from 2019 to 2023. 2) Facilities report their source reduction activities by selecting from a list of codes that describe their activities. These codes fall into one of five categories listed in the graph legend and are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.

From 2019 to 2023:

  • The five industry sectors with the highest source reduction reporting rates were plastics and rubber products manufacturing, computers and electronic products manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, miscellaneous manufacturing, and printing.
  • For most sectors, Process and Equipment Modifications were the most frequently reported source reduction activities. Other commonly reported source reduction activities varied by sector. For example, plastics and rubber manufacturers frequently reported Material Substitutions and Modifications, such as substitution of TRI-reportable solvents in resins and coatings.

Facilities may also report additional details on source reduction activities to TRI, as shown in the following examples.

Examples of optional source reduction information for 2023:

You can view all reported pollution prevention activities and compare facilities’ waste management methods and trends for any TRI chemical by using the TRI P2 Search Tool.

This page was published in August 2025 and uses the 2023 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2024.

TRI National Analysis

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Last updated on August 20, 2025