This Paper Proposes new pollution indices as a quantitative measure of environmental impact. The pollution index for a process is defined by using pollution balance equations. Three pollution indices were defined on the basis of waste characteristics : mass, BOD, and toxicity. Such pollution indices can be effective and valuable tools for minimizing the waste production of a process in terms of environmental impacts, and, when used with cost estimates, for objectively determining the optimal process. In this paper, the application of these indices was demonstrated in a case study involving the production of detergent, as reported in the literature. Pollution indices for the existing process and two improved processes were calculated and compared to evaluate environmental impacts of these processes.