Sustainability

Biotechnology. This site links to information about biotechnology - the science of modifying the genetic composition of plants, animals, and microorganisms - as it relates to pest control, pesticides, and other toxic substances.

Children’s Health. As one of the populations most vulnerable to environmental contaminants, children and their health have been a special focus of EPA programs and research.

Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE). This EPA initiative is designed to establish a series of multi-media, community-based, and community-driven projects to reduce local exposure to toxic pollution.

Computational Toxicology. This new field – which integrates modern computing and information technology with molecular biology and chemistry – allows EPA to better prioritize data requirements and risk assessments for toxic chemicals.

Design for the Environment (DfE). EPA partners with industrial sectors to improve the performance, reduce risks to human health and the environment, and reduce the costs of products, processes, and practices. This program promotes integration into everyday business practices of cleaner, cheaper, and smarter design solutions

Environmental Management Systems. This site provides links to inform businesses on how to reduce their environmental impacts while increasing their operating efficiency.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP). This site provides information about products and services recommended by the EPP program, which encourages and assists federal agencies in purchasing environmentally preferable products and services.

Federal Electronics Challenge. This voluntary partnership encourages federal agencies to purchase greener electronic products, reduce negative impacts of electronic products during their use, and manage used and obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way.

Green Chemistry. This voluntary EPA program promotes environmentally friendly chemicals and technologies that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and use of chemical products.

Green Suppliers Network. This collaborative venture among industry, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Commerce works with large manufacturers to engage their small and medium-sized suppliers on process improvement and waste minimization.

High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program. Through this voluntary EPA program, participating companies assess particular chemicals, submitting summaries of existing data and plans for how they will fill data gaps.

Integrating Green Purchasing into Your Environmental Management System (EMS).  This guidance document for federal facilities responds to requests from, and was developed in partnership with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and several EPA and other federal programs and facilities. It is also available in PDF format (70 pages, 779KB. About PDF).

Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly one to 100 nanometers, whose unique phenomena enable novel applications.

National Waste Minimization Program. This EPA program promotes sustainability by reducing the amounts, toxicity, and permanence of waste generated by human activities.

New Chemicals Program. This program helps to manage the potential risk from chemicals new to the marketplace, functioning as a gatekeeper to identify conditions, up to and including a ban on production, to be placed on the use of a new chemical before it is entered into commerce.

Pollution Prevention (P2). This site provides information about P2 practices, source reduction programs, and initiatives administered by EPA and other organizations.

Pollution Prevention Partnerships. This page outlines partnerships between EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances with volunteer businesses, communities, state and local governments, and other organizations.

Product Stewardship. This approach calls on those in the product life-cycle - manufacturers, retailers, users, and disposers - to share responsibility for reducing the environmental impacts of products.

Recycling. This site provides links to many EPA programs that support recycling – turning materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources and generating a host of environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Sector Strategies Program. This site describes environmental gains made through innovative actions that EPA has taken with the manufacturing and service sectors.

Sustainable Futures. By giving chemical developers the same risk-screening models that EPA uses to evaluate new chemicals before they enter the market, this program to make new chemicals safer, available faster, and at lower cost.

Waste Management. EPA is challenging all citizens to conserve our natural resources by committing to reduce, reuse, and recycle at home, in the community, and at the office.

WasteWise. Through this voluntary EPA program, businesses and other organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and certain industrial wastes, leading to economic and environmental benefits.