First, redesign manufacturing processes and products to
use less material and energy. The weight of a typical car
has been reduced by about one-fourth since the 1960s
through use of lighter steel and lightweight plastics and
composite materials. Plastic milk jugs contain less plastic
and weigh 40% less than they did in the 1970s, and
soft drink cans contain one-third less aluminum. Disposable
Ways to reduce the waste outputs of industrial processes
include recycling most toxic organic solvents
within factories or replacing them with water-based
or citrus-based solvents (Individuals Matter, p. 459)
and using hydrogen peroxide instead of toxic chlorine
to bleach paper and other materials. In addition,
toxic chemicals used in dry cleaning can be replaced.
One method uses a nontoxic silicone solvent in conventional
dry-cleaning machines and another involves
submersing clothes in liquid carbon dioxide. Check
your local phone directory to locate dry cleaners that
use these alternative methods. A promising new approach
is to develop nanotechnology coatings (Case
Study, p. 362) that would eliminate the need for dry
cleaning, although these materials would have to be
carefully tested to avoid any harmful consequences of
using them.