ORGANIC WASTE PRODUCT
GENERATED BY
NEBRASKA FOOD MANUFACTURERS
PREPARED FOR:
NEBRASKA STATE RECYCLING ASSOCIATION
194 1 S. 42ND STREET, SUITE 5 12
OMAHA, NE 68105
PREPARED BY:
FOODSTRATEGY
INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA - LINCOLN
60 FILLEY HALL, EAST CAMPUS
LINCOLN, NE 68583-0928
PHONE: 402/472-5791
NEBRASKA INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS SERVICE (NICS)
DECEMBER 1996
Table O f Contents
Project Background
1
Project Guidelines
1
Overview
2
TABLE 1 : Overview of Survey Results
3
Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Amounts & Types of Organic Waste
4
Non-Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska
Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska
TABLE 2: Non-Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Amounts & Types
of Organic Waste Product
TABLE 3: Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Amounts & Types
of Organic Waste Product
4
5
Meat & Non-Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Methods of Organic
Waste Disposal for Individual Companies & Associated Costs
TABLE 4: Meat & Non-Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Methods of
Organic Waste Disposal for Individual Companies & Associated Costs
Food Manufacturer Segmentation
TABLE 5 : Food Manufacturer Segmentation
TABLE 6 : Food Manufacturer Segmentation
TABLE 7: Food Manufacturer Segmentation
6
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Appendix
APPENDIX A: Telephone Survey
APPENDIX B: Recycling Regions in the State of Nebraska
14
15
Project Background
Food processing represents the number one manufacturing industry in Nebraska with over 380
food processing companies located statewide. Although beefand corn are the most well-known
items associated with the state of Nebraska and are, in fact. the raw inputs for many value-added
food products. a variety of other food products are manufactured in Nebraska. A sampling of
other Nebraska products would easily include: sugar, potatoes, pasta, wine, bagels and cereal.
In June, 1996, the Nebraska State Recycling Association (NSRA) contacted Foodstrategy at the
University of Nebraska to conduct a telephone survey of all food manufactureres with a Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC) code of 2000 (Food and Kindred Product) within Nebraska that
have a waste product resulting from their production line(s). Companies that use a custom
processor to manufacture their product and companies whose product is manufactured out-ofstate were not contacted for the survey.
The information gathered for the survey from Nebraska's food manufactures included:
The type of organic waste product generated. For the purposes of this survey, organic
waste product is defined as once-living, food-related material resulting from the
production process which is not considered to be the company's primary or secondary
product and which is not an input ingredient for another company and/or subsidiary's
product.
The amount of organic waste product generated annually with consideration given
to quarterly variations.
The current method of organic waste product disposal and the associated cost.
The level of interest in pursuing alternative waste management methods through the
Nebraska State Recycling Association.
Appendix A contains a copy of the survey form used for the telephone interviews.
Project Guidelines
All participants in the survey were informed that the information they provided will be held
confidential. Only aggregate amounts of organic waste product, categorized by product category
and one of four divided regions within the state of Nebraska, are identified in this report. Those
food manufacturers that expressed an interest in being contacted by the Nebraska State Recycling
Association for further discussion on waste management methods have orally agreed to have
released their company name and contact information.
The accuracy of the information contained in this report is to the best knowledge of the surveyed
party. The figures reported herein are current as of December, 1996. In instances where
company responses were given in less-than annual measurements or in mesurements other than
pounds, Foodstrategy staff converted the figures to yearly totals in pounds for comparison
purposes based on a five day, fifty-two week production year.
Overview
A total of 27 1 Nebraska food manufacturers were contacted for the telephone survey. Over 85
percent of the food manufacturers contacted provided some degree of information for the survey.
Thirty-five food manufacturers chose not to respond.
Of the 236 food manufacturers that participated in the survey, 169 indicated that they do have an
organic waste product. From those food manufacturers that indicated having an organic waste
product, 70 manufacturers dispose of their organic waste, either partially or entirely, via landfill.
landspread, or incineration. Water quality was most often mentioned (108 times) as the main
environmental concern for food manufactures followed distantly by pesticide use (50 times) and
air emissions (4 1 times).
Statewide, over 985 million pounds of organic waste product is generated annually. Sixty-three
percent of the organic waste produced in Nebraska is generated by 57 meat processors and/or
slaughter plants; the remaining thirty-seven percent is generated by 1 12 non-meat manufacturers.
As a leading producer of livestock within the United Sates (primarily beef and pork), it is not
surprising to find that the majority of the organic waste product produced in the state of Nebraska
results from meat slaughter and/or processing.
Region 3 (the northeastern part of the state) generates sixty-seven percent of all organic waste
product in the state of Nebraska followed by Region 1 (western Nebraska) with twenty-seven
percent. In tabulating organic meat waste versus organic non-meat waste, figures indicate that
Region 3 generates eighty-seven percent of all meat waste while Region 1 generates fifty-seven
percent of all non-meat waste.
Table 1 on the following page gives an overview of the results from the survey. All responses
are divided by product category (meat slaughter/processing company versus non-meat processing
company) and region in Nebraska. See Appendix B for a map of the regions in Nebraska as
specified by the Nebraska State Recycling Association.
Food Manufacturers in Nebraska: Amounts & Types of Organic Waste
Table 2 and Table 3 on pages 6-8 break down the amounts of reported waste into specific
organic waste categories. Table 2 breaks down the amounts of reported organic waste for the
non-meat food manufacturers in Nebraska by region. Table 3 breaks down the m o u n t s of.
reported organic waste for the meat food manufacturers in Nebraska by region.
Non-Meat Food Manufactures in Nebraska. The key below expands on the organic waste
categories listed in Table 2 for non-meat manufacturers on pages 6-7. The first two categories
scraps/trimmings and fat/suet, could be identified as types of organic meat waste. For example.
several non-meat companies use processed meat products as an ingredient in their products.
total of 14 non-meat food manufacturers and generates the highest amount of non-meat organic
waste annually (>204 million pounds). Region 3 has a total o f 4 4 non-meat food manufacturers
and generates the second highest amount of non-meat organic waste annuall). (> I23 million
pounds). For further information pertaining to the amounts and types of organic waste products
generated by Nebraska’s non-meat food manufacturers, refer to the tables on pages 6-7.
Meat Food Manufacturers in Nebraska. The key below expands on the organic waste categories
listed in Table 3 for meat manufacturers on page 8.
For meat manufacturers statewide, bones were mentioned the most often (40 times) for type of
organic waste followed closely by tallow/fat/suet (37 times) and meat scraps (30 times). In terms
ofvolume for companies reporting individual amounts oforganic waste by category, bones
represent the largest amount ofmeat organic waste generated statewide at over 1 13 million,
pounds annually. Annually, the second highest category statewide is hides/feathers with over 81
million pounds oforganic waste and paunch manure ranks third with over 7 1 million pounds
generated.
Region 3 has a total of 33 meat manufacturers that collectively generate the highest amount of
meat organic waste annually (>540 million pounds). Region 1 has a total of 4 meat food
manufacturers that collectively generate the second highest amount of meat organic waste
annually (>64 million pounds). Refer to Table 3 on page 8 for further information pertaining to
the amounts and types oforganic waste product generated by Nebraska’s meat manufacturers.