11-24 news: USA Today highlights sustainability efforts by meat processors; PETA disapproves
The article highlighted the actions of three processors specifically. Tyson Foods is developing plastics, adhesives and non-woven materials from keratin found in feathers, with the hopes that diapers and hospital gowns can be made from the material. Perdue Farms collects its poultry litter and converts it into organic fertilizer pellets. Maple Leaf Foods operates a biodiesel plant near Montreal and uses a portion of the fuel produced to run its own trucks.
A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, though, argued that rendered materials can spread diseases. "The last thing we need in this country is another use for the bodies of animals," said Kathy Guillermo, vice president of laboratory investigations.