Which preliminary practice is commonly used by industries to minimize the amount of industrial waste generated?

Recovery is a common practice used by industries to minimize the amount of industrial waste generated because it involves the process of reclaiming and reusing materials that would otherwise be discarded. This practice promotes sustainability by reducing the need for new raw materials and lowering the overall volume of waste produced. By implementing recovery techniques, industries can efficiently extract valuable resources from their waste streams, often turning what would be considered trash into reusable input for other processes.

In contrast, the other practices mentioned—disposal, incineration, and containment—do not effectively contribute to waste minimization. Disposal implies simply getting rid of waste without any effort to reuse or recycle, while incineration involves burning waste, which can reduce waste volume but does not recover materials for reuse. Containment focuses on managing and storing waste safely rather than reducing its generation. Thus, recovery stands out as the proactive approach towards minimizing industrial waste.