Government data show that specialty chemical manufacturers are reducing their environmental footprints, says the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA; Washington, D.C.; www.socma.com.).
The group states that its member companies are significantly decreasing toxic chemical releases to the environment, which is partly a result of the association’s commitment to help members improve their environmental performance through participation in SOCMA’s ChemStewards program.
The program collects various environmental data, such as EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which provides the public with information about a company’s chemical releases and waste management activities. The data consist of total pounds of release and disposal of toxic chemicals to air, land and water.
Total reported TRI releases from 2007 to 2010 have been reduced from 2.3 million pounds in 2007 to 1.5 million pounds in 2010, an overall 32% reduction. The average year-on-year reduction is 12%.
Specifically, data show that reductions in TRI air releases have shown the strongest decreasing trend with a 13% year-on-year decline. Companies have shown steady continual improvement, with air releases reduced from 2.3 million pounds in 2007 to 1.5 million pounds in 2010.
From 2007 to 2009, TRI land release data showed a 48% reduction (from 6,359 pounds in 2007 to 1,318 pounds in 2009). Although there was a slight decrease in 2010, the land data still show a negative slope.
And, for the average SOCMA member, the TRI water release data show a decreasing trend, from 1,220 pounds in 2007 to 1,040 pounds in 2010.