How do you prevent factory pollution?

According to environmental lawyer Diane Saxe, factories that wish to reduce emissions can practice either pollution prevention or pollution control. Pollution prevention means changing the way a factory operates so that it produces very little or none of a particular pollutant. This usually involves eliminating a certain chemical or material from its operations. Pollution control involves installing equipment that captures pollutants before they enter the environment.

Factory pollution affects the air, land and water and can have widespread, long-term consequences for the atmosphere and the environment. Carbon dioxide is one of the most harmful emissions released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, according to the Global Post. Other emissions contribute to acid rain formation and the depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. In addition, it is reported by National Geographic that 70 percent of industrial wastes are dumped into the water table. Improved filtration systems are an example of controls that could help reduce the damage done by these pollutants by removing or refining them. Switching from fossil fuels to natural gas is a way that factories can dramatically reduce certain emissions, like mercury, greenhouse gases, sulfur and particulates.