Rendering Archives - North American Renderers Association

Why Truck and Rail Transportation Are Essential to the Rendering Industry

Posted on December 30, 2025 (December 30, 2025) by nara-primediany

Every year, the rendering industry plays a critical role in sustainability by giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste. Massive volumes of animal by-products are transported to rendering facilities, where they are converted into valuable fats and proteins. These materials are then recycled into everyday products, including pet food and other essential goods. Additionally, renderers also collect billions of pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) from restaurants and food manufacturers.

EPA Restores Rendering to the Wasted Food Scale — Highlighting a Proven Way to Prevent Food Waste

Posted on December 19, 2025 (February 5, 2026) by Anna

When most people think about food waste, they picture leftovers being thrown away. But preventing food waste isn’t just about reducing what ends up in the trash — it’s also about finding responsible, sustainable ways to use food scraps and materials that can’t be eaten. That’s where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Wasted Food Scale comes in. The scale (formerly called the Food Recovery Hierarchy) ranks food management strategies from most to least environmentally

Tina Caparella Honored with NARA’s 2025 Don Franco Award

Posted on November 18, 2025 (November 18, 2025) by Anna

NARA has named Tina Caparella the recipient of the 2025 Don Franco Distinguished Service Award, the organization’s highest honor recognizing outstanding leadership and long-term contributions to the rendering and meat industries. Read the press release here. Tina’s career in the industry spans decades, beginning with her family’s legacy at Render magazine. The magazine was founded in 1972 by her grandfather, Frank Burnham, as a newsletter for West Coast rendering organizations, eventually becoming a national publication

National Farmer’s Day

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Anna

Every October 12, National Farmer’s Day gives us a chance to pause and thank the people whose work sustains us every single day. From the ranchers who raise livestock to the processors who turn byproducts into valuable materials, agriculture’s backbone is built by those who see opportunity where others might see waste. And nowhere is that spirit clearer than in the rendering industry. Rendering is agriculture’s quiet sustainability hero. It’s the process of transforming the

From Community to Conservation: The Economic Impact of the Rendering Industry

Posted on October 28, 2025 by nara-primediany

Did you know that the rendering industry currently accounts for roughly $10 billion in annual economic activity across the United States? While we know that rendering helps to promote food waste sustainability, reclaim clean water, and reduce our carbon footprint worldwide, rendering also supports the North American economy in more ways than one. Rendering Creates Jobs The rendering industry proudly creates thousands of jobs throughout urban and rural North America each year. From

Celebrating the Next Generation of Agriculture Leaders: Meet the First NARA Rendering Scholarship Recipient

Posted on September 16, 2025 (September 17, 2025) by Anna

The North American Renderers Association (NARA) is thrilled to introduce the recipient of its very first Rendering Scholarship: Madelynn Pimm, a senior at Penn State University. Madelynn is majoring in Agribusiness Management and International Agriculture, and she’s already making her mark as a leader in the agricultural community. Her goal? To build stronger connections between producers and consumers while supporting the growth of agriculture for the future. Madelynn’s leadership goes beyond the classroom. She serves

Moo-ve Over for National Beef Month

Posted on May 28, 2025 (May 28, 2025) by Marcus Wintzer

You may or may not know that the month of May is recognized as national Beef month. Now that the rain has finally let up (at least in some parts of the country) what better time to get outdoors and grill up some all-beef hot dogs, burgers, or a delicious ribeye? That’s a rhetorical question, but I’m sure you already know the answer. Of course, if the weather doesn’t want to cooperate, you can always

Rendering Education Activities for National Rendering Day

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Anna

With National Rendering Day coming up on April 21st, it’s the perfect time to introduce kids to the fascinating and sustainable world of rendering! One of NARA’s priorities is to strengthen rendering education from 4-H age all the way through college and university programs, so we have developed some fun, interactive activities for schools and learning institutions – but you don’t have to be a professional teacher to help kids understand rendering’s importance! Try one

New Rendering Video: An Educational Tool for All Ages

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Anna

Imagine an innovative, animated video that captures the complexities of rendering—a vital yet often misunderstood process in agriculture—and makes it accessible and exciting for learners of all ages. The National Animal Rendering Association (NARA) has done just that with their new explainer video, Rendering: Every Part Has a Purpose. This engaging cartoon is more than just entertainment; it’s an educational powerhouse designed to introduce rendering to audiences as young as 4-H participants and as advanced

Thanksgiving and Food Waste

Posted on November 27, 2024 (June 9, 2025) by Anna

From Farm to Feast: Practicing Thanksgiving Food Waste Sustainability Thanksgiving is always a special time of year; it marks the beginning of the holiday season and offers a time filled with gratitude, quality time with friends and family, and the oh-so-exciting Thanksgiving dinner. However, along with our Thanksgiving turkeys and cornbread stuffing, unfortunately come millions of pounds of food waste. From the leftovers we don’t finish to the roughly 50% of the Thanksgiving turkey considered

Tag: Rendering