Waste Disposal Options for Small Meat Processing Plants: Alternatives to Rendering
Proper waste management in meat processing plants doesn’t have to be just about meeting regulatory requirements, it can also be about becoming a responsible business that maximizes resources and minimizes negative environmental impact. Blood and manure can be monetized, hides can become leather goods - creatively dealing with “waste” has become even more crucial to survival as a small plant. Operators have a variety of sustainable and cost-effective waste disposal methods to consider.
Compost pile along a dirt road, ready to spread on a field.
Blood Disposal: Turning a Byproduct into Valuable Resources
Blood from livestock processing is rich in proteins and nutrients, making it a valuable resource when managed correctly. Collection is the first step, so finding room and designing proper retention and collection equipment can be the difference between a hazard, or a resource.
One common disposal method is utilizing a renderer. Blood can be sent to rendering, being hauled away by licensed companies to produce blood meal, a high-protein feed supplement for livestock, or as a key ingredient in fertilizers. Companies like Darling Ingredients convert animal blood into organic fertilizers and feed supplements, providing a sustainable alternative to waste disposal. However, as an operator this is becoming a more and more expensive option.
Becoming more popular is certain regions, composting blood with carbon-rich materials like straw or sawdust can create a nutrient-dense soil amendment. This process ensures that the nitrogen in the blood is recycled back into the environment in a controlled and safe manner. Keeping valuable nutrients in the region where that blood was created helps to reduce carbon footprint and create a more sustainable nutrient cycle. But not all areas have the space, or ability to have commercial composting operations that allow for blood collection and utilization.
Another sustainable method of getting rid of blood is bio-digestion. In advanced facilities with proper planning and design, blood can be processed in anaerobic digesters to produce biogas—a renewable energy source. And the solid processed material that is left over is still able to be applied to the land as a fertilizer, or soil amendment.
Fat and Grease: From Waste to Biofuel
Fats and oils generated during meat processing are often perceived as problematic, but they hold potential for valuable applications. Like blood, rendering hauling is available for Tallow and Grease. But in this scenario the rendering company is gaining a valuable material, while the plant operator is paying for hauling. With the right planning and investment, rendered fats can be processed into edible tallow, which is used in the production of frying tallow, soaps, skin care products, candles, and biodiesel. Grease is another product that rendering facilities refine for use in lubricants and animal feeds.
Biofuel Production is a more advanced way of handling fats and grease and may not be feasible for a mid-scale commercial operation. However, there are very rudimentary ways to convert fats and grease into biofuel on-farm, which for some may be an option. For larger scale operations, facilities like Clean Energy Biofuels take waste oils from food and processing industries and convert them into renewable biodiesel, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
On-Site Energy Generation: Small-scale digesters can convert grease into biogas to power operations, providing both waste disposal and energy savings.
Offal and Inedible Materials: Fertilizers, Pet Food, and Industrial Uses
The disposal of offal, viscera and other inedible materials can serve a variety of industries. Rendering companies transform offal into protein meals and fats, which are critical ingredients in pet food manufacturing. For example, feather meal and bone meal are commonly used as protein supplements. Rendered materials are also used in the production of adhesives, textiles, and even cosmetics.
As an alternative to having the rendering company come haul your solid waste materials such as the paunch, intestines, and other viscera offal can also be composted into high-quality organic fertilizers. This is particularly useful for materials unsuitable for rendering, like certain viscera and feces. More and more, rendering companies are demanding operators sort what is hauled, and the operator is left with material to handle on their own. Compositing offers a way (just like with the blood) to keep materials in the region to reintroduce into the environment as a benefit to the soil.
There are relatively affordable and turn-key options on the market for biodigestion of solid processing waste that may be an option for your facility: Greenstar LLC is one place to begin researching if you’re interested in a way to convert processing waste into a saleable fertilizer product at your small processing plant.
Manure Management: Supporting Agriculture and Energy Production
Manure is an inevitable byproduct of animal processing, but its disposal offers opportunities for agricultural and renewable energy applications. Composting manure creates a nutrient-rich product for soil enhancement. Digesters can process manure to produce biogas and a nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as fertilizer. For example, farms equipped with biodigesters can integrate this system seamlessly. Properly treated manure can be applied directly to fields, enriching soil while avoiding chemical inputs. In all of these cases, be sure to gain proper permitting for application of the products before putting them onto your fields.
Animal Hides: Sustainable Leather Goods
Animal hides are a byproduct with immense potential for sustainable use. Of course, we all know that hides have always been used for production of leather. However, over the past several decades, the value of hides has dropped to the point of being a burden rather than a value to processors. The market for leather has declined, processing has gone overseas, and the consolidation of small tanneries has dropped the competitive market to the point where a meat processing operator has to pay quite a bit to dispose of hides now. But, very recently there has been a growing interest in better quality leather. Small batch, hand crafted tanned hides are making a comeback.
Tanned hides can be processed into high-quality leather for products like shoes, bags, and furniture. Sustainable tanning methods using vegetable-based agents are gaining popularity. Local artisans and small businesses are increasingly sourcing hides to create handmade leather goods, reducing waste and supporting local economies. Damaged hides can also be processed into gelatin or collagen products, used in both food and cosmetics industries. And finally, if none of those options are available to you locally, or affordably, hides can be composted with the other materials discussed earlier as well.
Pet Food Innovations: Perhaps the most value to add to these burdensome by-products is to make pet food with some materials. Utilize by-products from your meat processing operation to produce high-quality, locally made pet food. By repurposing meat trim, organs, and other suitable materials, the plant can create nutritious and sustainable pet food products that meet market demand for natural, human-grade ingredients. This initiative aligns with the growing consumer trend of prioritizing pet health and wellness, while also contributing to waste reduction and environmental sustainability. Offering pet food as a value-added product will provide an additional revenue stream, further diversifying the facility's operations and enhancing its contribution to the local economy.
Choosing the Right Option
For small processors, waste management is about balancing costs, environmental impact, and operational efficiency. Whether through composting, rendering, or repurposing, each by-product has potential beyond disposal:
Blood: Render for fertilizers or animal feed; compost for nutrient-rich soil.
Fats and Oils: Render for tallow; convert to biofuels, cosmetics, or energy.
Offal: Render for pet food; compost or digest for organic fertilizers.
Manure: Compost for agriculture; digest for renewable energy.
Hides: Craft sustainable leather goods, or compost.
By exploring these avenues and doing some research on cost to implement, processing plants can reduce waste, generate new revenue streams, and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. In the changing world of waste management, a proactive approach positions the operation to make something of value while creating lasting benefits for the community and land.