Nearly every industrial process, from manufacturing consumer goods to generating energy, produces different types of by-products, many of which are usable materials. Similar to municipal solid wastes, such as cardboard, newspapers, and beverage containers, these industrial materials are also valuable commodities that can be recycled.

Industrial materials recycling, also referred to as beneficial use, means reusing or recycling byproduct materials generated from industrial processes in an environmentally responsible manner. Thousands of manufacturing and industrial processes and electric utility generators create hundreds of millions of tons of nonhazardous industrial materials that are often wasted. These materials can often be used as substitutes for raw materials in the manufacture of consumer products, roads, bridges, buildings, and other construction projects.

Nonhazardous industrial materials, such as coal ash, foundry sand, construction and demolition materials, slags, and gypsum, are valuable by-products of industrial processes. Each material may be recycled or reused in a variety of diverse applications. These materials have many of the same chemical and physical properties as the virgin materials they replace — they can even improve the quality of a product. For example, the use of coal fly ash can enhance the strength and durability of concrete. Putting these commodities into productive use saves resources and energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to a sustainable future.