Moving Toward Sustainable Production

Updated December 2007

For over 15 years since the passage of the Pollution Prevention Act, manufacturers and government agencies have consistently faced the challenge of poor information systems for evaluating pollution prevention (P2) opportunities. Successful pollution prevention is based on an entity's ability to understand and improve its choice and use of materials and the associated financial impacts.

NEWMOA and the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) for Toxics Use Reduction are currently collaborating to develop and pilot test a materials use and profitability software tool, called Energy & Materials Flow & Cost Tracker (EMFACT). The project will build upon the current application of environmental management accounting as a critical aspect of sustainable production and P2.

The primary beneficiaries of this project will be those companies and organizations that implement this environmental management accounting tool to aid them in setting P2 priorities, identifying value-added opportunities for sustainable production, and implementing other materials and energy efficiency improvements. State and local environmental and technical assistance programs and private sector consultants will also benefit by having the tool to help their client companies identify P2 opportunities and quantify the benefits and costs.

NEWMOA has contracted with SYS Technologies to develop the EMFACT tool and to provide training support. SYS Technologies was selected by NEWMOA and MA OTA after a lengthy procurement process and competition among a number of highly qualified vendors. NEWMOA anticipates that a beta version of EMFACT will be available by the end of 2007 and hopes to post the final tool for free download on its website by late spring 2008.

For more information contact: Terri Goldberg, NEWMOA (617) 367-8558 x302,