October 18, 2024
Pollution Prevention Institute celebrates 35 years of service to industry
It all began in 1989 with a successful EPA grant application to establish a Kansas Pollution Prevention Program, helping industry change the process, material or technology to reduce pollution at the source rather than treating it at the end of the pipe. The successful program quickly expanded to add the Kansas Small Business Environmental Assistance Program, or SBEAP, to its services umbrella in 1995.
From there the Pollution Prevention Institute, or PPI, one of three core programs housed under Engineering Extension, grew to host various programs helping industry improve compliance with environmental regulations and reduce emissions to the environment. Learn more from the institute's 30-year video.
As a program that is 100% grant and contract funded, environmental and economic metrics are extremely important to our industry partners and funding agencies. At PPI we like to say, "We make the business case for implementing environmental improvements." In 2006, we began recording and aggregating this data from implemented industry and small business projects. Many of these metrics are documented in the more than 100 case summaries and studies published on our website. As of 2023, implemented metrics include the following:
- More than $23 million saved.
- Nearly 35,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent worth of greenhouse gases reduced.
- More than 289 million gallons of water reduced.
- More than 950,000 pounds of hazardous materials reduced.
- More than 24 million pounds of solid waste reduced.
- More than 58 million pounds of air emissions reduced.
One of our most successful PPI programs is our Pollution Prevention internship program. This summer, it brought together 10 interns — nine from Kansas State University and one from Wichita State University — who collaborated with 19 industries and institutions across Kansas to help reduce their environmental impact. In 2024, interns and their PPI mentors identified and investigated 82 recommended projects, with five currently in progress and one already implemented within the short 11-week internship. These efforts are projected to deliver annual savings of $727,819, reduce energy consumption by more than 6.5 million kWh, and cut climate emissions by 3,932 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Additional environmental project recommendations could reduce water use by 24,584,479 gallons as well as volatile organic compounds and hazardous waste.
Although PPI hosts about six to eight different grant programs in any given year, the Kansas SBEAP is also an extremely successful program having been in place since 1995. This program provides free, confidential environmental compliance help to small businesses. Data from our 2023 interviews of SBEAP clients show 55% of clients improving compliance as a result of what they learned from PPI specialists, 95% said they better understand the complex regulations, 76% of the compliance recommendations made were implemented and 100% of the clients interviewed said they would use our services again.
PPI services include technical training and hotline as well as on-site assistance. PPI has a wide reach and has assisted partners in each of Kansas' 105 counties.
PPI has a vision for a healthy Kansas environment that fosters equitable environmental sustainability and economic growth, as well as a mission to protect public health and promote sustainability and environmental compliance. If you are a student wanting an internship or an academic department looking for partners like PPI, please reach out to us at ksu-ppi@k-state.edu.