The North American Renderers Association (NARA) is celebrating a big win. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to put rendering back on its Wasted Food Scale. This is a relief since rendering had been part of the food recovery guide for 30 years before being removed in 2023 without any explanation.
So, what is rendering? It’s a process that turns unused parts of meat animals into valuable products like animal feed, pet food, and renewable fuels. This helps keep millions of tons of organic waste out of landfills each year.
The decision to restore rendering was driven by bipartisan support in Congress. In September 2024, a group of 28 lawmakers, led by Reps. Nick Langworthy and Jim Costa, wrote to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. They wanted the EPA to team up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to update the National Strategy for Food Loss and Waste to include rendering. More than 30 organizations backed this letter, highlighting the widespread concern about the exclusion of rendering.
Earlier in May, Senators Roger Marshall and Michael Bennet also sent a letter to the EPA, expressing worries over rendering’s absence in the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste. They, too, wanted to see rendering recognized for its role in sustainability.
Kent Swisher, NARA’s president, expressed gratitude to the EPA for this decision. He emphasized that having rendering recognized in federal food waste policies is crucial. It reflects what’s really happening in waste management and supports practices that have been effective for many years.
This change isn’t just about policy; it has real-world implications. It’s estimated that the rendering industry processes roughly 5 billion pounds of animal by-products annually. This makes it a key player in the food waste management ecosystem.
As we look ahead, NARA aims to keep collaborating with the EPA, USDA, and other leaders to implement food waste reduction strategies. By doing so, they hope to underline how crucial rendering is for sustainability and food security.
To stay updated on food waste initiatives, you can check out the EPA’s Sustainable Management of Food page.
