May 5, 2006—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new report on environmental performance trends. The 2006 Sector Strategies Performance Report is a joint product of EPA’s partnerships with some of the nation’s most important economic sectors.
Highlights of the report include:
- Steel recycling has reached a 20-year high;
- The number of buildings meeting green building standards doubled in 2005;
- Paint and coating manufacturers now reclaim 97% of all waste solvents for further use; and
- The forest products sector now leads all manufacturers in use of co-generation, a highly efficient process that creates heat and electricity from a single source.
EPA’s Sector Strategies Program includes more than 20 national trade associations representing 12 major sectors of the US economy, comprising over 780,000 facilities in manufacturing (cement, forest products, steel, metal casting, metal finishing, paint and coatings, shipbuilding, and specialty-batch chemical) and non-manufacturing sectors (colleges and universities, construction, ports, and agribusiness).
Using government and industry data, as well as case study examples, the report provides a 10-year portrait of environmental performance for each sector. It tracks each sector for its record in reducing water discharges, air emissions, waste generation, and toxic chemical releases, as well as accomplishments in recycling and energy and water efficiency.
The report also provides a first-time look at how EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data can be used to target the greatest hazard reduction opportunities when managing chemicals. EPA is using toxicity-weighted scores to show release trends for higher impact substances. This information can serve as a tool for future strategic planning.
The 2006 report also describes how sectors are turning would-be wastes into material and energy inputs, and how trade associations are helping their members improve environmental operations.
