By-product

A by-product or byproduct is a secondary product derived from a production process, manufacturing process or chemical reaction; it is not the primary product or service being produced.

A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste: for example, bran, which is a byproduct of the milling of wheat into refined flour, is sometimes composted or burned for disposal, but in other cases, it can be used as a nutritious ingredient in human food or animal feed. Gasoline was once a byproduct of oil refining that later became a desirable commodity as motor fuel. The plastic used in plastic shopping bags also started as a by-product of oil refining.[1] By-products are sometimes called co-products to indicate that although they are secondary, they are desired products. For example, hides and leather may be called co-products of beef production. There is no strict distinction between by-products and co-products.

  1. ^ Muthu, Subramanian Senthilkannan; Li, Yi (2013). "Manufacturing Processes of Grocery Shopping Bags". Assessment of Environmental Impact by Grocery Shopping Bags: An Eco-Functional Approach. Environmental Issues in Logistics and Manufacturing. Singapore: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 7. ISBN 9789814560207. Retrieved 27 July 2019. Plastic is obtained as a by-product from the oil refining process [...]