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Industrial rendering plants across India and the globe face one major environmental challenge — odour. Effective odour control in rendering plants is crucial not only for environmental compliance but also for community wellbeing and sustainable industrial growth. The rendering industry plays a crucial role in protecting the environment. Generally, a rendering plant collects animal byproducts such as offal, fat, bones and carcasses from animal slaughterhouses, butcher shops, supermarkets (markets) and farms and turn them into usable materials like tallow, grease and bonemeal. These materials are then used for the manufacturing of a variety of products soaps, animal feed (including pet-feed) and some industrial items. Yet, it carries one unavoidable challenge — odour & high strength wastewater. In this blog we would like to cover, how to handle the pungent, persistent smell from rendering operations, which is one of the most complex environmental issues industries face today. Odour emissions are not merely an inconvenience; they directly influence community relations, regulatory compliance, and the public image of the company. For progressive industries, this challenge has become a defining factor in their sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies.
At the forefront of this transformation are modern engineering solutions like those deployed by Elixir Enviro Systems that combine science, environmental responsibility, and innovation to create cleaner, more sustainable air treatment systems for rendering plants.
To control odour effectively, one must first understand its origin. Rendering plants handle raw animal materials such as offal, blood, bones, feathers, and fat residues. During processing, cooking, drying, and pressing, these organic materials decompose, releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia, mercaptans, and amines. These compounds are potent even in low concentrations. For instance, hydrogen sulfide is noticeable at just a few parts per billion and produces a strong “rotten egg” smell, while mercaptans smell even stronger and are often detected far from the source. Uncontrolled odour can travel over large distances, affecting nearby communities, attracting complaints, and even halting production due to environmental violations. Hence, rendering plants increasingly rely on engineered odour control systems designed to target these compounds through physical, chemical, and biological means.
The modern rendering industry is evolving. Regulations now demand comprehensive environmental management systems that align with ESG and sustainability commitments. Odour control has become a key ESG indicator because it reflects a plant’s environmental responsibility, social accountability, and operational transparency.
A robust odour control strategy brings measurable advantages:
Companies like Elixir Enviro Systems have recognized that odour control isn’t just an environmental requirement — it’s an operational necessity and a reputational advantage.
Odour control in rendering plants is a multi-layered process that requires understanding of airflow patterns, pollutant chemistry, and microbial treatment. Below are the most effective engineering strategies used globally — adapted and optimized for Indian and international industries by Elixir Enviro Systems.
The first step in managing odour is preventing its escape. This involves designing airtight a good ventilation systems to capture emissions from:
A proper ventilation system ensures that all air carrying odourous compounds is directed to a centralized treatment unit instead of being released into the atmosphere. This not only minimizes fugitive emissions but also improves the efficiency of odour control technologies.
Scrubbers are among the most reliable methods for treating high-intensity odour streams. In these systems, acidic or alkaline solutions are used to neutralize gases such as the alkaline odourous compounds like ammonia, & the acidic odourous compounds like hydrogen sulfide.
Elixir’s engineered scrubber designs optimize contact time and chemical efficiency, ensuring minimal chemical consumption with maximum odour removal. Multi-stage scrubbers are often used to treat mixed compounds, for instance, an acid scrubber followed by an oxidizing scrubber for complete neutralization.
Biological systems utilize microorganisms to naturally degrade odourous gases into harmless compounds such as carbon dioxide and water. They are sustainable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient solutions for continuous odour control.
Biofilters use organic or synthetic media to absorb and biologically degrade VOCs, ammonia, and H₂S. They achieve 85–95% odour removal efficiency and are ideal for air from enclosed conveyors, pits, and dryers. Regular media maintenance ensures consistent performance.
These systems use synthetic packing material continuously irrigated with nutrient-rich water, supporting microbial activity for odour degradation. They achieve 90–98% efficiency and are suitable for high-concentration ammonia and H₂S streams, though they require controlled water and nutrient supply.
In bioscrubbers, odourous air passes through a liquid medium containing active microorganisms that degrade water-soluble pollutants. They achieve 80–90% efficiency, ideal for ammonia-rich odours, but require additional water treatment and energy for recirculation.
For rendering facilities with very high VOC loads, thermal oxidation or catalytic oxidation provides complete destruction of odourous gases. These systems operate by heating the contaminated air to high temperatures, breaking down volatile compounds into simple molecules like CO₂ and H₂O.
In specific sections such as product handling areas or packaging zones, activated carbon filters are used to polish residual odours. The porous carbon material adsorbs remaining organic compounds, ensuring the final discharge is nearly odourless. These systems complement biofilters and scrubbers, creating a multi-barrier odour treatment process. Activated carbon filters work as adsorption media, and therefore generally the carbon units are not recommended for high odour emission industries such as the rendering plants.
Emerging non-thermal plasma systems use high-energy electrons to break down odourous molecules at 85–95% efficiency. They are compact and efficient for many contaminants. But not have seen any case study or related document showing use case in the rendering industry. but involve higher operational and maintenance costs due to electrode replacement requirements.
In many cases, combining technologies improves overall efficiency and ensures comprehensive odour removal across multiple sources.
Common hybrid systems include:
The pretreatment with chemical scrubbers followed by the Biofilter for polishing seems ideal choice for the Odour Control from the Rendering plants. This combination can ensure the air for total efficiency up to 99%.
Used in facilities with separate odour streams, where intense odours are treated thermally and moderate ones biologically, balancing cost and performance.
Biofilter removes major odorous gases (85–95%), and activated carbon filters polish the air for total efficiency up to 99% — ideal for reception pits and enclosed areas.
This pairing achieves up to 95–98% total efficiency, handling mixed acid and alkaline gases effectively in high-odour-load plants.
Scrubbers neutralize H₂S and ammonia, while carbon filters remove VOCs — giving 95–99% efficiency, ideal for plants with multiple odour sources.
Though biological odour control units are very efficient, the use of biological systems alone for rendering plants is not advisable. As the load is very high from the rendering plants, the biological treatment units shall take up a very large floor space. Hence in the case of rendering plants it is always better to have a combination treatment. These hybrid systems are customized based on air volume, odour type, and emission intensity, ensuring optimized cost and performance for every rendering plant.
Apart from the challenges of having high strength wastewater, the wastewater treatment plants in Rendering plants also can release secondary odour during collection and treatment. By integrating wastewater treatment with air odour management, facilities can prevent odour migration from open tanks, sludge drying beds, and effluent channels.
Elixir’s integrated design approach combines:
This holistic design ensures consistent odour control throughout the plant, maintaining compliance and environmental integrity. The details of the wastewater treatment maybe discussed in a separate blog.
In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) set strict emission standards for rendering operations under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, but at present the CPCB doesn’t give specific regulation on Odour control in India.
Globally, regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) also enforce odour and air quality standards for animal by-product processing facilities.
Elixir Enviro Systems ensures that every system — from scrubbers to biofilters — is designed to meet or exceed these emission norms, helping clients maintain environmental compliance both in India and worldwide
Modern odour control goes beyond physical systems — it now integrates real-time data, digital simulations, and predictive monitoring for better performance and compliance. Elixir Enviro Systems utilizes advanced odour dispersion modelling to predict and assess odour behaviour under varying operating conditions. This enables engineers to optimize air capture points, ventilation strategies, and treatment system capacity with greater accuracy. Onsite odour monitoring units continuously measure parameters such as hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and ammonia concentrations, allowing proactive intervention before odour complaints or threshold exceedances occur. This data-driven approach enhances transparency and supports ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting by providing measurable, verifiable environmental performance indicators.
Rendering facilities are now integral to circular economy models, transforming waste into value. But to remain sustainable, they must operate within the boundaries of environmental stewardship. Odour control is one of the most visible reflections of ESG compliance. It demonstrates commitment to:
Elixir Enviro Systems aligns its technologies with these ESG pillars, helping industries not only meet legal standards but also exceed them — turning odour control into an opportunity for sustainable growth.
Elixir Enviro Systems is a leading provider of industrial odour control solutions for the rendering industry, helping facilities eliminate nuisance emissions and meet the highest environmental standards. With decades of expertise in air treatment, wastewater management, and environmental engineering, we deliver custom-built systems that ensure cleaner air and sustainable operations. Our odour control solutions for rendering plants combine chemical scrubbers, biofilters, biotrickling filters, and hybrid systems designed to treat complex odourous compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia, amines, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each system is engineered for high efficiency, achieving up to 95–99% odour removal while minimising energy use and maintenance costs.
Key strengths of our rendering-specific systems include:
By integrating these systems, Elixir Enviro Systems helps rendering facilities move beyond compliance — transforming odour control into a strategic sustainability advantage. Our goal is to engineer odour-free, community-friendly, and ESG-aligned rendering operations that reflect true environmental responsibility.
Odour control in rendering plants is no longer just about removing smells — it’s about engineering a cleaner, more responsible future for industries that serve the circular economy. With advanced air treatment systems, integrated wastewater solutions, and data-driven monitoring, companies can now operate efficiently, meet stringent regulations, and maintain community trust.
Elixir Enviro Systems continues to pioneer this transformation — designing and delivering odour control systems that redefine sustainability in rendering operations. By combining innovation with environmental ethics, the industry can truly render change — for the planet and its people.
Connect with Elixir Enviro Systems — specialists in designing end-to-end odour management solutions tailored to your process. From advanced scrubbers, biofilters, and hybrid systems to real-time monitoring and wastewater treatment, we ensure performance, compliance, and peace of mind.
Explore more about our Industrial Odour Control and Wastewater Treatment Solutions at www.elixirenviro.in.
A rendering plant is a facility that processes animal by-products — such as offal, fat, bones, and carcasses — collected from slaughterhouses, butcher shops, supermarkets, and farms. The goal is to convert waste materials into valuable, reusable products like tallow, grease, and bone meal, which are later used in the manufacture of soaps, animal feed (including pet food), fertilizers, and various industrial goods.
Rendering plants are classified into edible and inedible types. Edible rendering plants process clean, food-grade by-products from slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities to produce edible fats like tallow and lard used in food and cosmetics. Inedible rendering plants, on the other hand, handle materials unfit for human consumption—such as carcasses, condemned meat, and offal—to produce non-edible tallow, grease, and meat and bone meal used in animal feed, biodiesel, and industrial applications.
Based on the processing method, rendering can also be categorized as wet rendering and dry rendering. Wet rendering uses steam or hot water to separate fat from solids, yielding higher-quality fat but consuming more energy and water. Dry rendering involves heating materials without water and separating fat mechanically—an energy-efficient process suited for inedible rendering but with stronger odour emissions. Plants may also operate in batch or continuous modes, depending on scale and production demand. Together, these variations define how rendering plants operate to balance efficiency, product quality, and environmental control.
Rendering plants generate odour from the decomposition of animal by-products such as fat, blood, and offal. During processes like cooking, drying, and storage, gases containing hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), amines, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released. Without proper control, these emissions can cause strong, unpleasant odours and environmental complaints.
The most effective odour control systems combine biological and chemical treatment methods. Technologies like biofilters, biotrickling filters, and chemical scrubbers remove odourous gases efficiently. In many facilities, hybrid systems — combining biological and non-biological units — achieve up to 99% odour removal efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance and community satisfaction.
Biofilters use naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade odorous compounds into harmless by-products such as water and carbon dioxide. They are highly effective against amines, mercaptans, and reduced sulfur compounds, offering 85–95% odour removal efficiency. Biofilters are also sustainable, low-maintenance, and ideal for continuous operation in rendering facilities.
Hybrid odour control systems integrate multiple technologies—such as chemical scrubbers with biofilters, or biotrickling filters with chemical scrubbers, Thermal systems & Biological units—to handle diverse odour compounds. This multi-stage treatment ensures maximum odour removal efficiency and consistent air quality, even in high-load rendering operations.
Elixir Enviro Systems provides custom-engineered odour control solutions specifically for rendering plants. Their systems include biofilters, chemical scrubbers, biotrickling filters, and hybrid combinations that effectively remove H₂S, ammonia, VOCs, and amines. Elixir also offers onsite monitoring, wastewater odour treatment, and pilot studies to ensure optimal performance and long-term sustainability.
Effective odour control demonstrates a rendering plant’s commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. By reducing air emissions, improving workplace and community health, and ensuring transparent environmental performance, rendering facilities strengthen their sustainability credentials and public trust.
Facilities can upgrade by integrating advanced hybrid systems, adding real-time monitoring units, or improving air capture and ventilation designs. Elixir Enviro Systems offers system audits, performance analysis, and retrofit solutions to enhance odour removal efficiency and reduce operational costs.
After installation of EES’ Cocofil biofilter, the complaints regarding fishy odour from the factory has diminished. The system is working well with very low operation cost as well as better efficiency as compared to our previous odour control unit.
The system is in operation since 2020
DGM, Avanti Feeds Ltd, Gujarat
EES is our trusted partner in the odour control and wastewater treatment. They have installed the odour control unit consisting of different scrubbers, biofilters and a Biological Nutrient Removal based ETP. There were instances where we had faced near to closure, but EES’s support helped us a lot. Currently EES has been given operation contract for the Odour Control Unit and for the Effluent Treatment Plant
The System is in operation since 2017.
Managing Partner, Collagen Marine Products, Kerala
Elixir Enviro Systems has installed two Biofilters at our ossein plant in 2015 and 2017 respectively. EES has demonstrated the odour removal efficiency in our presence with over 98% odour removal. We thank you for your support.
Sr Manager, Kerala
Elixir Enviro System has done the installation and commissioning of Biofilter based Odour control system for Feed manufacturing unit at Orisa in 2017. The work has been completed in accordance with the Work order. We have also witnessed an odour removal efficiency of over 99%.
AGM, Falcon Feeds, Orrisa
