Most of the slaughter houses in the country are very old and still in primitive condition. These units operate with inadequate basic amenities such as lairage, proper flooring, water supply etc. Many slaughter houses are much smaller and widely scattered. To equip such units for effective processing of waste is really a challenge. On reviewing various methods and the constraints, the best practicable method for different categories of slaughter house are suggested in following paras.

Large slaughter house are mostly in cities and located in congested areas. They generate substantial quality of solid wastes, which have to be processed in environmentally acceptable manner. For the large slaughter houses, biomethanation of type-I waste and rendering for type-II waste are suggested. Biomethanation requires less space, which is advantageous for the slaughter houses with land constraints.

Biomehanation for type I waste and rendering for type II waste should also be considered for medium size slaughter houses with an alternative of composting.

In case of small slaughter houses, sophisticated and capital intensive technologies is unviable due to low volume of wastes and non-availability of other infrastructure facilities. For small slaughter houses, a more pragmatic approach would be to make use of natural process such as composting. This would be financially and technically viable and should be acceptable by the small slaughter houses.

The best practicable methods currently available for processing and disposal of different wastes for the slaughter houses are summerised in Table 9.

Table 9: Recommended Methods for processing, utilization and disposal of
solid wastes from slaughter house

Type of Waste

Constituents of wastes

Category of Slaughter House

Method(s)

 

 

Type I

Vegetable matter such as rumen, stomach and intestinal contents, dung, agriculture residues etc.

Large

Biomethanation

Medium

Biomethanation

Or

Composting

Small

Biomethanation

Or

Composting

 

 

 

 

Type II

 

Animal matter such as inedible offals, tissues, meat trimmings, waste and condemned meat, bones etc.

Large

Rendering

Medium

Rendering

Or

Composting with type-I waste

Small

Composting with type-I waste

Or

Burial*

*Should be considered as provisional measure.

Incineration can also be used, which is one of the effective means to treat volatile waste. These methods will reduce solid waste disposal problems in slaughter houses. However, there is need to upgrade old slaughter houses on modern lines for overall improvement in sanitation and hygiene and wholesome meat production. For modernisation of existing slaughter houses, the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India provides assistance to the States. Financial incentives are also provided by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources for setting up of biogas plants and high rate biomethanation plants under its programmes on energy recovery from urban and industrial wastes and biogas management programmes.