Industry best P2 practices
Pollution prevention (P2) technologies change constantly. Practices that were the most effective a few years ago may no longer be the best today. P2 technologies reduce the amount of material, energy, water or hazardous chemicals needed to provide products and services. Companies that can embrace such cost-saving technologies first have an economic advantage over competitors. The MPCA wants to make it easier to learn about state-of-the-art practices and technologies.
Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP)
MnTAP is a leading Minnesota resource for best practices information. Technical specialists focus by sector to better understand specific industry challenges: the processes, wastes and regulations. MnTAP works to turn those challenges into cost-saving opportunities by offering tailored solutions. MnTAP works with Minnesota manufacturers and industrial service businesses that generate hazardous waste, with technical assistance that includes site visits, an intern program, and information by phone or the web.
E-mail alerts | MnTAP offers periodic e-mail updates to Minnesota manufacturers to keep them abreast of relevant pollution prevention information: P2 technologies, grant and loan programs, conferences and workshops, award and recognition programs, and more. Get on the list: Contact Krysta Larson < kjlarson@umn.edu>, MnTAP communications manager, at 612-624-4697.
Note: MPCA's list of best practices by SIC has been moved to MnTAP's web site to ensure ongoing expert review and updates: http://mntap.umn.edu/industries.htm
Services for all sectors
Energy | http://mntap.umn.edu/energy/index.htm
Energy efficiency reduces costs, impact on the environment and helps ensure energy security. Such items as pumps, motors, process heating, and compressed air offer frequent opportunities for increased efficiency and cost savings.
Reusable Transport Packaging
Transport packaging includes containers used to store, ship, handle, protect and identify goods. Reusable packaging can reduce long-term costs, reduce risk of injury, and often makes an entire supply and distribution chain more efficient.
Materials Exchange | http://mnexchange.org
The Minnesota Materials Exchange program is a free service that links organizations that have reusable goods they no longer need to those who can use them. In the last five years, this effort helped businesses save $3 million and exchange over 8 million pounds of material.
National resources
Refer to the many national pollution prevention programs for a broader range of resources that may be of use to your company.
U.S. EPA: An Organizational Guide to Pollution Prevention (2001: EPA/625/R-01/003)
Assists organizations in getting P2 programs started or to re-evaluate existing ones. It presents an alternative method for working on P2 projects and four approaches to implementing a P2 program in an organization. Order the printed guide online.ยป
P2 Information by Industry Sector | http://wrrc.p2pays.org/industry/indsector.htm
This online collection of pollution prevention references includes technical references, fact sheets, and case studies on pollution prevention for selected industry sectors.
SIC Descriptions | www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html
Use the federal OSHA web site to access descriptive information for a specified 4-digit SIC.
U.S. Department of Energy: BestPractices | www.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/
This program summarizes best practices for common industrial systems such as compressed air, motors, process heating, and steam generation, which can account for a large part of the energy used in facilities. Numerous examples are provided for how companies are cutting energy bills while maintaining or improving quality.
BestPractices Solicitation Process | www.eere.energy.gov/industry/bestpractices/bestpractices_solicitations.html
The Industrial Technologies Program provides cost-shared funding of up to 50% for BestPractices R&D projects to address priority areas. All awards are based on a competitive process open to collaborative teams, including manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, and others. This resource allows you to track active and future solicitations as well as past recipients.
U.S. Department of Energy: Industrial Technologies Program | www.eere.energy.gov/industry/technologies/industries.html
The Industrial Technologies Program maintains a portfolio of R&D projects, including fact sheets and a searchable Industrial Projects Locator database, to address the priority needs of energy-intensive industries.
