Pollution Prevention Week

During Pollution Prevention (P2) Week learn how you can help reduce or prevent pollution in our communities. P2 is any action that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal.

• What you can do to prevent pollution
• P2 Resources or Businesses
• EPA P2 Programs
• Join in P2 Events

Spread the Word About P2 Week

In 2024, EPA celebrated P2 Week with the theme "Together We Are One Planet," by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.   

Below are sample resources to develop original social media posts, videos, web content and more to engage your community and partners in pollution prevention. If you need assistance with these materials, please contact P2 hub@epa.gov.  

Web Banners

Daily Themes

Each day of P2 Week featured a different theme to help highlight the many ways pollution prevention improves our world. 

Monday, Sept. 16	Tuesday, Sept. 17	Wednesday, Sept. 18	Thursday, Sept. 19	Friday, Sept. 20
P2 in Industry	P2 in Communities	P2 in the Federal Government	P2 at Home	P2 Innovation

Monday: P2 in Industry

• Preventing pollution is good for the environment, but it’s also good business. Preventing pollution is cheaper than cleaning it up.  
• Share that between 2011 and 2022, EPA’s P2 grants funded under the authority of the Pollution Prevention Act have saved $2.3 billion for businesses. 
• Share how much your pollution prevention work has saved.  
• Share that EPA has selected grantees for $160 million in grants under the Inflation Reduction Act to support clean U.S. manufacturing of steel and other construction materials. 

Sample Social Media Posts: 

• Preventing pollution can improve business performance and save money while also delivering benefits to our communities. Learn about businesses leading in pollution prevention. #P2Week https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-winners-2023-regional-pollution-prevention-recognition-awards 

• What’s good for businesses and protects human health and the environment? Pollution prevention! @EPA’s P2 grants saved $2.3 billion for businesses in just ten years.  Learn more https://www.epa.gov/p2 #P2Week 

• Create your own post about your P2 work by filling in the highlighted sections below. 

  • It’s Pollution Prevention Week! Learn about how we’re [insert P2 activity] to protect human health and the environment by [insert activity description]. [Your URL] #P2Week 

Tuesday, P2 in Communities

• Preventing pollution protects communities. EPA P2 grants have prevented a billion pounds of hazardous waste from being released, saved billions of gallons of water and eliminated millions of tons of greenhouse gases. 
• How are you preventing pollution on our one planet? Share information about how you are using P2 practices to prevent pollution. 
• Share EPA’s What is P2? Video 
• Share EPA’s webinar on preventing PFAS pollution. 
• Share that P2 grants have helped grantees save 52 billion gallons of water between 2011 and 2022. (source) 
• Use one of the social media images or web banners below in your posts or use them to create your graphics. 

Sample Social Media Posts: 

• Did you know that pollution prevention practices help protect human health and the environment in communities? Learn more about it during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM-jOssklAM&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.gov%2F  
• Learn more about how preventing pollution at the source protects communities during Pollution Prevention Week, Sept. 16-20! https://www.epa.gov/p2 #P2Week  
• Create your own post about your P2 work by filling in the highlighted sections below. 
  • It’s Pollution Prevention Week! Learn about how we’re [insert P2 activity] to protect human health and the environment by [insert activity description]. [Your URL] #P2Week  

Wednesday: P2 in the Federal Government

• Share EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing which help U.S. federal government purchasers identify private sector standards and ecolabels to meet sustainable acquisition goals and mandates. 
• Share how EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing cover 34 purchase categories and include thousands of products and services that address environmental and human health attributes such as energy or water efficiency, recycled content, and plastics and PFAS reduction or elimination.  
• Share how the federal government is the single largest consumer in the world, spending more than $690 billion on products and services each year, and how federal purchasing of greener products and services can catalyze a more sustainable marketplace, reducing climate impacts, improving the health of frontline communities, preventing pollution, and increasing U.S. industry competitiveness. 

Sample Social Media Posts: 

• The federal government is the largest consumer in the world. More than 50% of the concrete poured in the U.S. every year was paid for with federal dollars. How can we make federal purchasing cleaner and greener? Learn more during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20 https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/recommendations-specifications-standards-and-ecolabels-federal-purchasing   

• Federal agencies can get help from @EPA to prevent pollution by purchasing greener products and services, from furniture to paper towels. Learn more during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20. https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/recommendations-specifications-standards-and-ecolabels-federal-purchasing   

• Federal spending can prevent pollution. Learn how federal purchasers can buy green during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20. https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/buying-green-federal-purchasers  

Thursday: P2 at Home

• Preventing pollution at home can protects the environment and the health of your family and community. Highlight ways to prevent pollution at home, for instance by looking for the Safer Choice label to find products that meet high standards for ingredient safety, performance and sustainable packaging.  
• Find and share Safer Choice messaging, graphics and more from the Safer Choice Media Kit.  
• Help people find Safer Choice-certified products by sharing EPA’s product search page.  
• Share Safer Choice YouTube videos on your website and social media.  
• Share that nearly 2,000 cleaning and other products currently qualify to carry the Safer Choice label. 
• Share how EPA’s Safer Choice program also offers the Fragrance-Free Safer Choice label for products that meet the Safer Choice Standard and are free of any fragrance ingredients.  
• Share that EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) logo helps consumers and purchasers find antimicrobial products, like disinfectants and sanitizers, that have been reviewed by EPA and found to meet both the pesticide registration requirements and the standard for DfE-certified products. 

Sample Social Media Posts: 

• Want to clean with safer ingredients but not sure where to start? Look for products with EPA's Safer Choice label! Learn more about Safer Choice-certified products during Pollution Prevention week, Sept. 16-20! https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice #P2Week 
• Look for the #EPASaferChoice label on cleaning products during #P2Week 

1. Safer ingredients for people + the planet 
2. Performance tested + shown to work 
3. Better for the environment 
4. More sustainable packaging 
5. Reviewed by EPA scientists 

Learn more: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice  

• Look for the #EPASaferChoice label on cleaning products during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20. It's a Safer Choice for our planet. 

☑️ less pollution in streams 

☑️ less contamination of the food chain 

☑️ reduced impacts on water treatment facilities 

☑️ less damage to the ecosystem 

Learn more: https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice 

• More Safer Choice posts. 

 

Friday: P2 Innovation

• Share how winners of EPA’s Green Chemistry Challenge Awards have eliminated 830 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents each year (source) and share profiles and information about winners of the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from your area and how their winning technologies prevent pollution. Encourage applications for the 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards.  
• Share that Safer Choice-certified products must pass category-specific performance standards as defined in the Safer Choice Standard and perform comparably to conventional products. 

Sample Social Media Posts: 

• Batteries made with materials from rice hulls? Learn about this and other innovations from winners of @EPA's Green Chemistry Challenge Awards during #P2Week, Sept. 16-20. Winning technologies have eliminated 830 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents each year. https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/information-about-green-chemistry-challenge  
• Technologies that have won EPA’s Green Chemistry Challenge Awards have eliminated 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide releases to air. During #P2Week, Sept. 16-20, learn more about technologies with major environmental and economic benefits. https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/information-about-green-chemistry-challenge  
• One company used Green Chemistry to substitute soy flour for formaldehyde in making wood panels. The change helped their business succeed. Do you have what it takes to win a Green Chemistry Challenge Award? Learn more: https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/information-about-green-chemistry-challenge #P2Week  

Other Resources

You have the power to reduce and prevent pollution. Whether it be limiting the amount of trash you generate, or simply buying products that are safer for the environment, you can make a difference. 

What You Can Do

• At home
• At work
• Find Safer Choice Labeled Products
• Buying Green for Consumers

 

Resources for Businesses

Businesses can save money and prevent pollution by adopting practices that are more environmentally friendly. Follow the links below to find out how P2 can help your business.

• Find technical assistance where you live
• Learn how P2 can save your business money while promoting sustainability
• Tools and resources to jump start your sustainable purchasing program
• National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
• Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center

 

EPA P2 Programs

EPA has established programs that help implement P2 practices. Visit each program’s webpage to learn more.

• Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program
  • Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels
• Green Chemistry Program
• Safer Choice Program
  • Browse Safer Choice-certified products
• Pollution Prevention/Source Reduction Assistance (SRA) Grant Programs
  • Explore the P2 Resources Search Tool
• Pollution Prevention and the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

 

Join in P2 Events

• Check out EPA's P2 webinars.
• Check out the Pollution Prevention Timeline to learn more about P2 milestones and accomplishments.