User:Sandeepbrar/sandbox

Definition
Toxics use reduction (TUR) can be subdivided into direct and indirect. Direct use focuses on substituting inputs in the production process and redesigning products to use less or no toxic chemicals. In the indirect process, there are process modifications, operation improvements, and recycling of chemicals.

The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (1989) sets a goal for 50% of reduction in waste production by 1998. The main focus was to reduce the use of toxic substances in production. This program affected over 1000 firms and has successfully targeted approximately 190 chemicals. The act also mandates that companies provide reports on their use of toxic chemicals and pay toxic chemicals use fees.

Latin America and Asia
Latin America and Asia have industrialized at tremendous rates over the past decades. In doing so, governments focused on output to develop the economy while not paying attention to the environment. This has resulted in toxic accumulation in the land and in water sources. Organisations such as Clean Production Action have published resources for activists to formulate strategies to lobby governments for a less toxic producing industrial processes.

In Southern China, the Pearl River delta has a high level of toxic accumulation because the area has heavy production facilities which provide 30% of China’s exports. The rivers serves as source of water supply to 47 million people yet still continues to be a dumping site. TURA’s guideline are being used in China to account for the toxic waste in the river and to come up with solution to reduce it. In a study conducted in Thailand, it was concluded that implementing a tax policy can greatly reduce toxicity emissions. The main concern is to ensure that the lower and middle class families don’t get affected by these policies, thus  progressive toxic emission strategy should be enforced where taxation depends on much toxicity an individual or a family produces. In Argentina’s Rio Chuela area, there are around 4100 factories. The toxic emissions are so high that the river is turning black. After a lawsuit from the Citizen’s Action, the court directed factories to reduce the toxic emissions by 50% over five years. To achieve this goal, TURA’s guidelines have been effective in helping the Argentinian government build a framework  for its industrial sector.

Institutional Initiatives
There has been a push to focus on the upstream production process to reduce toxins. The idea is to regulate emissions in the early phase of the production process rather than controlling pollution results once the toxins are released into the environment. Governments, private companies and local communities are being brought together to find ways to reduce pollution output rather than pollution control. For example, private companies such as PaperWorks Packaging Group from Ontario, Canada have taken initiative to reduce toxic elements in the production process. The company was using toxic materials in the cleaning solutions which would escape into the atmosphere. The company decided to eliminate the Stoddard solvent from its production process to produce high quality products that are environmentally responsible.