Concept in Definition ABC

A product is everything that is made through a transformation process. The end result becomes something that is geared to some form of consumption.

If we incorporate the prefix sub, the new word has a double meaning: something of little quality for some reason or something that is obtained from an original product.

In this way, an imitation bag would be a by-product with respect to the genuine and premium quality bag and, on the other hand, the chip that is obtained from the wood it is also a by-product within the furniture sector.

Petroleum by-products

Oil is a compound organic basically made up of carbon and hydrogen and hence comes one of its names, hydrocarbon. This product is obtained from the great depths of the Earth, mainly from sedimentary basins. This viscous black and amber substance was formed millions of years ago from plant and animal remains that were buried under sediments. Once obtained by a pumping mechanism, the oil is transported through pipelines to the refineries to obtain fuels and lubricants.

However, beyond fuels and lubricants, there is an immense range of by-products that come from petroleum, such as plastic packaging, objects made with acrylics or polymers, pigments for the painting, detergents, some fertilizers, aftershave lotion, some moisturizers, etc. According to some calculations, 90% of the utensils we handle are manufactured from some petroleum by-product.

Observing coffee by-products

Coffee has several by-products:

) coffee pulp is used as fertilizer,

2) the mucilage is used in the pharmaceutical industry and in the food sector and

3) the Water that is used to pulp the coffee turns into a liquid called "honey water" that is used in the treatment of sewage water.

A waste is not the same as a by-product

While the two terms may seem synonymous, they are actually two different things. Waste is understood as that which comes from an original product, but is of no use. Instead, a by-product is anything that has a specific utility.

For something to be considered a by-product, it must meet two general conditions:

1) that the object obtained can be used in a process of production Y

2) that its use complies with all legal requirements that protect the health of consumers.

If both requirements are not met, we would be facing a residue.

Photos: Fotolia - Lessimages / Gstudio

Topics in By-product