ALEXANDRIA, VA, December 18, 2025 – NARA applauds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for restoring rendering to the agency’s Wasted Food Scale, marking a major milestone for the rendering industry and national food waste reduction efforts.
Rendering is the original form of recycling and, by definition, reduces or eliminates food waste by safely and sustainably upcycling all parts of a meat animal that would otherwise go unused. Through rendering, these materials are transformed into valuable ingredients used in nutritious animal feed and pet food, renewable biofuels, and a wide range of essential products, supporting both environmental sustainability and food system resilience. This circular process diverts millions of tons of organic material from landfills each year while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
NARA and its members have been advocating for the inclusion of rendering in EPA’s food waste framework since it was removed without explanation in 2023 after being part of EPA’s food recovery hierarchy for three decades.
EPA’s inclusion of rendering follows bipartisan requests from Congress and sustained engagement by industry stakeholders. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate from both parties repeatedly urged the EPA to modernize its food waste strategies to reflect rendering’s essential role. These efforts were supported by a broad coalition of agricultural, food, and energy organizations that recognized rendering as a proven, science-based solution.
In September of 2024 a bipartisan group of 28 Members of Congress, led by Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Jim Costa (D-CA), sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to work in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revise the National Strategy for Food Loss and Waste. The letter called for the inclusion of rendering as a key component of national food waste reduction strategies. In addition to NARA, the letter was supported by more than 30 organizations, including the American Association of Meat Processors, American Farm Bureau Federation, Pet Food Institute, and Clean Fuels Alliance America; among others.
A similar bipartisan letter led by Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and signed by six other U.S. Senators was sent to Administrator Regan in May of last year, raising concerns that rendering was excluded from the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. In July, Representatives Langworthy (R-NY) and Costa (D-CA) sent a follow up letter along with a bipartisan group of their colleagues to EPA Administrator Zeldin pointing out that, without rendering, the Wasted Food Scale excluded the largest organic recycler by volume. “We commend the EPA for making the decision to restore rendering and thank the Members of Congress who championed this issue with us,” said Kent Swisher, NARA’s President and CEO. “Restoring rendering on the Wasted Food Scale ensures that federal food waste policy accurately reflects real-world practices that have been working safely and effectively for generations.”
NARA looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the EPA, USDA, FDA, and congressional leaders to support the effective implementation of food waste reduction strategies and to further advance policies that recognize rendering’s contribution to sustainability, food security, and the circular economy.
