Establishing a Byproduct Synergy Program for Reuse of Manufacturing Byproducts in Michigan
Achieving Pollution Prevention Success - Funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pollution Prevention (P2) grant, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), in partnership with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC), piloted a Byproduct Synergy (BPS) program to reuse manufacturing byproducts. The pilot’s goal was to help manufacturers match byproduct streams to other facilities’ needs for raw materials, reducing quantities destined for disposal and lowering the costs associated with purchasing raw materials. The BPS program identified, inventoried and established public and private members -- several businesses, townships, power companies, and water and sewer departments -- and attempted to create specific synergistic relationships between its members.