As of January 2022, there are 30.1 million beef cows in the US, which equals more than 27 billion pounds of red meat, but ironically, only 63% of every cow is used for human fodder. In a world where sustainability and food consciousness are growing trends, what happens to the rest of the cow carcass, and does it go to waste?

The cow carcass makes up a massive amount of raw material, a fair amount of which becomes by-products. Cowhide (leather) is likely the best-known nonfood product that accounts for 75% of all cow by-products, while things like bones, horns, and hooves, which are the least edible, are used to make buttons, glues, fertilizer, and gelatins‌.

A fat component derived from cattle, known as tallow, is used in the beauty industry as an ingredient in body soap, shaving creams, and other products, like crayons and paints. Although the American husbandry sector throws out 1.4 billion tons of livestock waste annually, the beef cow industry definitely does its part in sustainability.