Dealing with environmental wastes through "end-of-pipe" measures (such as wastewater treatment systems, hazardous waste incinerators and other treatment technologies, secure landfills, monitoring equipment, solid waste hauling equipment, air pollution control equipment, and catalytic converters) has proven to be very costly and does not address all environmental problems.
Pollution prevention offers industry the advantages of: less need for costly pollution control equipment; "getting ahead" of environmental regulations; reduced reporting and permitting requirements, and less operation and maintenance of pollution control equipment.
This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.