Darling Ingredients strives to cut water consumption, carbon emissions by 2025

Darling Ingredients Inc. announced Sept. 1 the company's global sustainability strategy and its 2025 sustainability targets designed to enable company growth while improving sustainability performance. As a global corporation, its strategy aligns the objectives of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) pillars with specific sustainable development goals (SDGs) as set out by the United Nations Global Compact. The 2020 Environmental, Social, and Governance Factsheet is posted on Darling Ingredients' refreshed corporate website.

"We see ourselves as part of the solution to protect the planet and the life it sustains by repurposing the world's food waste streams into valuable, sustainable ingredients all while assisting in the decarbonization of the world," stated Randall C. Stuewe, chairman and CEO of Darling Ingredients. "We have a responsibility for the generations to come and our goals set today will help secure a pathway and provide us a continual platform to expand and build on for many years to come."

The company set meaningful short-term global targets to reduce by 5 percent its water and energy intensity by 2025 from its new base year of 2020. The company is also expanding production of renewable diesel by 150 percent, which it expects to achieve in 2022.

Darling's CSR objectives are built on three pillars:

Cleaner Air & Water. Respecting and utilizing natural resources to tackle today's climate challenges. The company is making strategic investments that contribute to the paradigm shift in the world's long-term energy balance by producing renewable fuel from repurposed animal fats, organic residuals, and oil and grease collected from restaurants. Darling's rendering process generates more water than it withdraws―a net-positive water contribution impact. Recovered water is treated and recycled for reuse in the process, used for irrigation or returned to local watersheds.

Safer Food & Feed. Delivering high-quality ingredients and solutions for the agrifood industry. Darling is committed to helping raise the quality of life for people and animals. Much of the company's R&D efforts focus on developing and producing innovative ingredients that help promote a healthy diet and better quality of life.

Better Communities & Workplaces. Contributing to an economically and socially prosperous society. Safe and healthy environments are crucial not only for Darling's employees, but for the people, animals and nature that surround our offices and facilities. Darling heavily invests in optimizing new technology and processes that minimize the environmental impact of our production facilities.

In pursuing these targets, the company's leadership will ensure that its actions are consistent with responsible capital allocation, commitment to its financial targets and the continued creation of shareholder value. The company believes that achieving its sustainability and business goals will enhance its long-term financial performance and returns, while enabling it to contribute to the sustainability of our planet.

Darling's sustainability commitment to build a better tomorrow for all of the company's stakeholders is rooted in the belief that has driven the company since its establishment in 1882: "We connect economic with ecological value to make a difference. We do this wherever we can, and where it contributes and matters most."

Darling's global businesses play vital roles in carbon emissions avoidance and critical water management. The company's purpose is to repurpose organic waste into sustainable food, feed and fuel that improve the quality of life for humans and animals while protecting the planet and the life it sustains for future generations. "What we produce is important, but so is how we produce it."