The North American Renderers Association (NARA) will celebrate National Rendering Day on April 21 with a community event at the Birmingham Barons baseball game at Regions Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Held the day before Earth Day, National Rendering Day recognizes the role rendering plays in reducing food waste and supporting a circular economy. The Birmingham event brought together NARA members, local partners and the public for an evening at the ballpark.
The event was sponsored by BHT ReSources, a Birmingham-based rendering company founded in 1900 as Birmingham Hide & Tallow Company. Penny the Dog, an iconic sign at Regions Field, is an original Birmingham Hide & Tallow sign.
Attendees could participate in a trivia contest, with the winner taking home a grill. A concourse booth staffed by NARA and BHT ReSources team members offered interactive activities and educational information. A special guest threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
According to NARA, rendering transforms unused animal byproducts and used cooking oil into materials used in animal feed, renewable fuels, fertilizers and other goods. According to NARA, approximately 50% of an animal is not consumed by humans in North America, and rendering repurposes those materials rather than sending them to landfills.
"Rendering is the original form of recycling and plays a critical role in today's conversations around waste reduction and sustainability," said Kent Swisher, NARA's president and CEO. "Every day, our industry ensures that valuable resources are not wasted, but instead repurposed into new, useful products that support a more sustainable future.
"We are honored to have our longtime member, BHT ReSources, sponsoring this event and helping us celebrate the people behind this essential work," said Swisher. "Events like this allow us to show appreciation for those in the rendering industry while also educating the broader community about the importance of rendering. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Birmingham Barons for hosting this exciting event and supporting local renderers."
NARA represents the North American rendering industry before regulatory and government agencies and publishes the bimonthly trade magazine Render.
