Understanding TRI Thresholds: When Reporting Is Required

Thresholds determine whether a facility must report a chemical at all, and they vary depending on how the chemical is managed. Manufacturing and processing thresholds are typically 25,000 pounds per year, while the otherwise‑use threshold is 10,000 pounds. But the details matter: certain chemicals have lower thresholds, and activities like byproduct generation or impurity formation can unexpectedly push a facility over the limit. Threshold calculations must include all applicable activities — not just what’s purchased. Facilities that track usage throughout the year, rather than retroactively, are far more likely to catch threshold exceedances early and avoid rushed calculations in June.

How TRI Toolkit Helps: TRI Toolkit calculates thresholds automatically as you enter or update chemical usage throughout the year. It tracks manufacturing, processing, and otherwise‑use activities separately, applies special thresholds for PBTs (and other risky chemicals), and alerts you when you’re approaching or exceeding a reporting trigger. Instead of scrambling to reconstruct annual totals, facilities get real‑time visibility into their threshold status — making reporting decisions faster, clearer, and far more accurate.