Market conditions in the United States and the European Union differ significantly with regard to slaughterhouse waste and the production of renewable energy. In the United States, traditional rendering practices are the accepted primary methods for slaughterhouse waste disposal. Material exiting these facilities is typically processed into animal feed, thereby capturing the intrinsic protein content, but raising food safety concerns.

In the European Union, slaughterhouse waste is categorized based on the potential for disease transmission (e.g. Mad Cow), and only a portion is permitted to re-enter the food chain. The remainder must be either incinerated, landfilled or processed into renewable energy, if applicable.

Renewable energy also has dramatically different economic considerations in the United States as compared to the European Union. The primary renewable energy features in the United States are manifested in individual state Renewable Portfolio Standards for local electric utilities and in economic incentives in the United States Internal Revenue Code for the production of renewable energy. The members of the European Union, contrariwise, have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which is focused on eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and establishes defined target objectives. A matrix of penalties and rewards embedded legislatively and administratively provides the foundation for the implementation of a “green” program for the production of transportation fuel and electricity.