Pollution Prevention

“If pollutants and waste are not created, they don’t have to be managed.” Pollution Prevention (P2) is a strategy of material use, processing, and management to reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants and waste at the source – prior to recycling, treatment or disposal.

DEQ’s P2 Program was created on September 1, 1994 and is codified in the Oklahoma Statutes at 27A O.S. § 2-3-105 et seq. It offers an opportunity for cooperative partnerships among the business community, municipalities, agencies of the state, the environmental community and DEQ to reduce the generation of waste through source reduction and sound environmental management.

Contact Cheryl Dirck via email or at (405) 702-8179.

Mission

Our mission is to assist Oklahoma citizens, businesses, and local governments with pollution prevention; industrial waste, wastewater and emissions reduction; and proper waste management. This includes resource conservation and minimizing the transfer of pollutants from one media to another.

We achieve this outcome by providing:

  • general outreach to business and industry through seminars, training workshops, and information transfer and
  • individualized technical assistance, including analysis and interpretation of information needed to reduce waste, assistance with improving waste management practices, and confidential regulatory compliance assistance.

Oklahoma Star Incentive ProgramOK Star Program
The Oklahoma Star Incentive Program (OKStar) recognizes an organization’s exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship. Any business, industry, trade association, professional organization or local government of Oklahoma can be recognized for its commitment to environmental excellence.

Applications are evaluated using environmental stewardship and related criteria developed by DEQ.

School Chemical Management
Many schools have small laboratories as part of their overall science curriculum; however, science teachers, principals, and school custodians are not always trained in proper management of chemicals used in the labs. As a result, unused and unwanted hazardous chemicals are often stockpiled, some of which may degrade over time to become extremely hazardous, presenting an ongoing health and safety hazard. There are many actions a school can take to prevent accumulation of unneeded chemicals and prevent them from impacting the environment. DEQ has developed a number of resources to help schools improve their management of these chemicals.

Other Pollution Prevention Resources

Auto Body Shop Self-Assessment Checklist (Word Format, PDF Format)
Waste Exchange/Resource Exchange
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Website
National Pollution Prevention Roundtable

Recyclers Lists
Statewide List of Oklahoma Recyclers
Community Recycling List
Mail-in and Other Recycling Programs
OKRA- Oklahoma Recycling Association
Map of Commercial Recyclers in Oklahoma