Summary of Statewide Use Trends in New Jersey

The lack of progress in reducing Use is caused by increases in the quantity of toxics Shipped as (or in) Product. The quantity of hazardous substances shipped in product is the only component that increased during the period using both annual pounds and production-adjusted quantities, which increased by 15 percent using unadjusted quantities and 4 percent when adjusted for production.

Refinery products (i.e., gasoline and fuel oil) account for about 90 percent of the toxics in products and also account for most of the increases. If the refineries are subtracted out of the universe, Shipped as (or in) Product overall statewide increased 2 percent. However, when adjusted for production, a 27 percent decrease was realized and Use reductions overall were 15 percent and 27 percent when adjusted for production. An important conclusion from this data is that New Jersey DEP is doing a good job in controlling and reducing NPO. Future challenges lie in reducing hazardous substances Shipped as (or in) Product. To be successful, this will require an educated consumer who is aware of what is in the products they are purchasing, innovative thinking and problem solving on the part of industry to substitute or use less toxic substances in their products, and/or a heavy reliance on regulatory agencies to ensure that less toxic chemicals end up in products.