MEDIA RELEASE – 18 Sep 2026
Australian renderers set new sustainability agenda with launch of first industry-wide framework
Australia’s rendering and used cooking oil recycling sector has launched the first industry-wide ARA Sustainability Framework, establishing a common plan to measure and strengthen performance across some of the most significant environmental and commercial issues facing the industry.
Developed by the Australian Renderers Association (ARA) with KPMG, the Sustainability Framework (the Framework) responds to a rapidly changing operating environment across the many sectors rendering intersects with, from livestock and food production to resource recovery, energy, renewable fuels, manufacturing and international trade.
Changing customer and community expectations, evolving domestic and global market requirements, and increasing demand for credible sustainability information are creating new challenges and opportunities for the sector. While rendering and UCO recycling already play an important circular economy role, until now the industry has not had a uniting framework for identifying shared priorities, coordinating action or consistently measuring, improving and communicating its contribution.
ARA Chair Peter Milzewski said the Framework marked an important step in how the industry prepares for its future, “Rendering sits at the intersection of food production, agriculture, manufacturing, resource recovery, energy and global trade. All of those sectors are changing, and the expectations placed on businesses operating within them are changing too.
“Our industry already makes an important contribution by keeping valuable materials in productive use, but sustainability as it stands today requires more than being able to point to what we already do well. We need to always understand our impacts, respond to emerging risks and opportunities, demonstrate our performance, and keep improving.
“For the first time, this Framework gives the Australian rendering industry a shared vision for a sustainable future, where we should focus our efforts and, importantly, a practical roadmap for turning that ambition into action.”
Four priorities for industry action
The Framework identifies four strategic focus areas for collective action:
Circular Economy: keeping animal co-products, UCO and other recoverable materials in productive use while minimising waste.
Resource Efficiency: improving the use of energy, water, and operational inputs through technology, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Environmental Protection: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting effective air management practices.
Market Access: securing and expanding access to domestic and international markets through product integrity, traceability, biosecurity and supply chain assurance.
The priorities were informed by a comprehensive Double Materiality Assessment undertaken as part of the Framework’s development. It considered both the industry’s impacts on the economy, environment and people, and the sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could financially affect the sector, helping identify where industry action and resources should be focused.
From framework to action
Rather than prescribing a single approach for businesses of different sizes and levels of sustainability maturity, the Framework sets out practical actions including establishing industry baselines for resource use and operational emissions; developing common measurement tools; sharing commercially viable resource-efficiency solutions; strengthening guidance on emissions, air and odour management; supporting peer learning; and continuing work on traceability, accreditation and market access.
ARA will also introduce a Voluntary Reporting Guide and technical reporting resources to help members identify and collect relevant sustainability data using consistent definitions and metrics, supporting a phased roadmap from establishing industry baselines and capability to coordinated improvement and industry-wide measurement.
ARA Executive Officer Jess Bloomfield said practical implementation was central to the Framework, “We deliberately wanted this to be more than a statement of intent. It gives us clear priorities and practical actions for ARA, our members and the broader industry.”
“Our first job is to build the evidence base, establish where the industry is today and give members practical tools to measure performance consistently. From there, we can build a clearer picture of our progress, identify where further action is needed and tell a stronger, evidence-based story about the contribution Australian rendering and UCO recycling make across the economy and circular value chain.”
The Framework was developed through research and consultation with industry stakeholders and members, with an Industry Advisory Group providing industry insight and testing key concepts.
The ARA Sustainability Framework was launched at the ARA Symposium 2026,
