Reported Barriers to Source Reduction

Facilities have the option to inform EPA of barriers that prevented them from implementing new source reduction activities by selecting from nine codes that describe common barriers. Analyzing the barrier information that facilities report helps EPA and others identify where more research is needed to address technological challenges or develop viable alternatives. It may also allow for better collaboration between facilities with knowledge of source reduction practices and those seeking additional assistance. This figure shows the types of barriers that facilities reported for metals and for all other (non-metal) TRI chemicals.

Note: Facilities have the option to report barriers to source reduction by selecting from nine codes. These codes are defined in the TRI Reporting Forms and Instructions.

From 2019 to 2023:

• Facilities reported barriers to implementing source reduction for almost 300 TRI chemicals and chemical categories.
• No Known Substitutes was the most frequently reported barrier for both metals and non-metals.
  • Excluding metals, facilities reported No Known Substitutes most frequently for nitrate compounds. Facilities often report that nitrate compounds are produced during sanitization or waste treatment processes for which there are no known alternatives.
• For the No Known Substitutes barrier for metals, many facilities reported the presence of the TRI metal in their raw materials (e.g., metal alloys) as the reason they could not implement source reduction activities. Examples include:
  • A shelving manufacturer reported that lead is a trace element in carbon steel and there are no known alternative technologies to reduce the lead content. [Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool]
  • A chemical product manufacturer reported that zinc is present in process accelerators and is an activator for latex. The facility stated that there are no known substitutes that can replace these zinc-containing materials while achieving the same physical properties in its products. [Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool]
• Reduction Not Technically Feasible was a common barrier for metals and non-metals. Facilities select this barrier code when there are technical obstacles to implementing source reduction. For example:
  • A brewery reported that, while it has looked into process improvements and alternatives for peracetic acid as a cleaning agent, their cleaning process and frequency is determined by diverse production and customer needs such as changes to beverage recipe characteristics and production volume. Therefore, the facility states that reduction of peracetic acid is not technically feasible. [Click to view facility details in the TRI P2 Search Tool]
• You can view source reduction barriers for any TRI chemical by using the TRI P2 Search Tool.

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