By-products are secondary materials produced during manufacturing processes, which can be used in new products or require separate processing and safe disposal. Companies aim to limit waste by-products to reduce production costs and may find creative ways to sell them. Some by-products are dangerous and require safe disposal to avoid pollution. Companies can reassess by-products to find new uses or reduce waste. Environmental regulations cover hazardous by-products, which must be processed or contained to avoid pollution.
A by-product is a secondary material produced as part of a manufacturing process. Some by-products can be used in new products, while others are waste that require separate processing and safe disposal. Companies tend to limit waste by-products as they don’t want to spend money on disposal because it can increase production costs. Some come up with creative ways to sell materials traditionally seen as waste in order to streamline manufacturing processes.
It can be difficult to manufacture something without creating by-products along the way. For example, in rice processing, the inedible outer hulls are removed. They represent a by-product that the company must either use or discard. Some uses for rice hulls include mulching, insulation, fuel for power plants, and engineered wood products. Companies can sell their hulls, turning them into a valuable part of the process rather than an unwanted by-product.
Some by-products are dangerous. Chemical reactions, nuclear fuel processing and similar activities can generate by-products that cannot be used or sold as part of the original product. They are also too dangerous to trade on their own. Instead, the manufacturer must process and dispose of them safely. This can create problems like pollution if companies don’t properly protect their waste during the production process.
Companies that use known processes to generate by-products can periodically reassess them to determine whether they can reduce overruns or find new ways to use these materials. Process rationalization may involve the development of new products and services based on by-products. An example can be seen with corn, where numerous by-products can be produced during handling. Most of these can have a secondary use; cornstarch, for example, is a by-product used in food preparation and other activities.
Efficiency can be a concern for many industrial processes. The generation of a by-product may be indicative of waste and it may be possible to reduce waste by changing the process. When this is not an option, the company can turn to new ways to use by-products. Companies that are able to repackage and sell their secondary products can make significant profits from these sales.
Environmental regulations cover by-products known to be hazardous. If possible, they may need to be processed to neutralize them. In cases where this is not an option, the company must adequately contain and protect them. Mining, for example, results in the generation of toxic waste that needs to be controlled in appropriate containers or reservoirs to avoid environmental pollution.
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