Standards set by new, stringent environmental legislation are diminishing the value of process optimization as a pollution control strategy. Further significant decreases in the pollution arising from such processes as dyeing and finishing will probably require the development of new production procedures and control techniques. The impact of fabric dyeing and finishing on the environment can be reduced by performing a five step pollution prevention strategy: avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, and biodegrade. Avoidance means discontinuing processes that require the use of environmentally harmful chemicals. Reduction means decreasing pollution loads by preliminary washing, improved exhaustion and fixation, and using less water and energy. Reuse refers to the recycling of dyebaths, a process that is at least partially feasible using present technologies. Recycling refers to the reuse of natural and synthetic fibers. Processing biodegradable natural fibers generally produces biodegradable products.