Waste Management
Each year, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program receives information from more than 21,000 facilities on the quantities of TRI-listed chemicals they recycle, combust for energy recovery, treat, and dispose of or otherwise release as part of their normal operations. These quantities are collectively referred to as production-related waste managed or ‘waste managed’The sum of all non-accidental chemical waste generated at a facility. It is the sum of on-site environmental releases (minus quantities from non-routine, one-time events), on-site waste management (recycling, treatment, and combustion for energy recovery), and off-site transfers for disposal, treatment, recycling or energy recovery.1
Looking at waste managed over time helps track facilities’ progress toward reducing the amount of chemical waste they manage. Additionally, these trends show whether facilities are shifting toward waste management practices that are preferable to disposing of or otherwise releasing waste into the environment.
EPA encourages facilities to implement source reduction (or pollution prevention) to reduce or eliminate the use of TRI-listed chemicals and the resulting creation of chemical waste. For waste that is generated, the preferred management methods are recycling, followed by combustion for energy recovery, treatment, and, as a last resort, safe disposal or release of chemical waste into the environment. This order of preference, called the Waste Management Hierarchy, is consistent with the national policy established by the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA) of 1990.
How a facility manages its waste depends on multiple factors, such as its size, location, and production capacity, as well as the type of chemicals being managed. Some facilities have systems that allow them to manage their waste on site. For example, waste streams may be recycled to recapture chemicals and extend their useful life, or may be destroyed such as in incinerators or wastewater treatment systems. Facilities may also pay to transfer their wastes to specialized waste management companies.
- Facilities managed 28.6 billion pounds of TRI chemical waste, 88% of which was not released into the environment due to preferred waste management practices such as recycling.
- Waste managed increased by 2.0 billion pounds (7%) since 2013, with a 3.5 billion pound (32%) increase in recycling during this time.
As with any dataset, there are many factors to consider when using TRI data. Find a summary of key factors associated with the data used in the National Analysis in the Introduction. For more information see Factors to Consider When Using Toxics Release Inventory Data.
1 Some quantities of waste that are not related to production but are recycled, treated, or combusted for energy recovery on site may be included in a facility’s “waste managed.”
This page was published in March 2024 and uses the 2022 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2023.