Pre-Consumer Waste

Pre-consumer waste, sometimes referred to as “post-industrial waste,” is generally defined as material that would have become trash if it were not diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. An example of pre-consumer waste diversion is the use of sawdust from logging to create fuel pellets or engineered lumber. Beyond this there is no agreed upon definition for which materials can be claimed as pre-consumer waste, and the definition varies from country to country among industry, government organizations, and environmental groups. How pre-consumer waste is interpreted impacts many facets of environmental and economic policy. For instance, in many countries, pre-consumer waste is considered part of municipal or everyday waste policy and disposal because it is not hazardous or toxic.

Pre-consumer waste is a significant portion of the waste stream and is determined by the type of waste specific industries generate. It is estimated that between 2 and 6 percent of most industry's annual production is pre-consumer waste. Depending on the market, recycling rates are higher for pre-consumer waste than for municipal waste, with more than a 50-percent recovery rate for paper, cardboard, metals, textiles, and wood, which are more in demand than other types of materials. While pre-consumer waste is normally associated with recycling, incineration is another primary way that pre-consumer waste is diverted from the waste stream. While pre-consumer waste reduction limits carbon emissions and preserves natural resources, it is often considered a standard part of good business financial practices.

Ancient civilizations have always utilized preconsumer waste out of necessity. Butchers still sell hides to tanners to make leather and animal bones for fertilizer. Gleaning, or the tradition of giving the poor the right to unwanted agricultural leftovers, is another ancient form of pre-consumer waste diversion. The black stones used in Roman mosaics were often made from basalt, the volcanic lava rock often left over from construction of Roman roads. Metals such as iron scraps were reused to make metal composites by the Spanish in the 15th century. It was not until the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century that pre-consumer waste became a significant economic and public health concern. “Dustmen” collected the ash from coal fires to use as a soil conditioner and for brick making, while “ragmen” collected textiles.

During World War I and World War II, demand for manufacturing materials and community efforts raised awareness of resource scarcity. This led to the postwar period, often called the “Golden Age of Consumption” (1950–80), during which manufacturing increased to meet greater consumption. The amount and type of pre-consumer goods processed and potentially diverted from the waste stream increase as technology improves. Industry has been pushed by economic and environmental pressure by the public, government organizations, and interest groups to create more products using pre-consumer recycled content; however, this is not always possible. Since the 1990s, this has been accelerated by the creation of the global commodities market, increased consumption worldwide, and advanced communication technology.