ETSA: 50 Years of existence
The use of non-edible parts of animals is a practice that dates to Antiquity. During centuries, this use was limited to the removal of fat from tissues to make candles and soap. In the early 19th century, the first rules were created for the routing of these by-products to enhance their reuse, which can be considered the beginning of the circular economy. It was at this time that the first units for the treatment of animal by-products, also known as “recyclers” or “tallow factories”, began to emerge.
In the 20th century, more precisely in the 1970s, the first companies that would give rise to the ETSA Group emerged, whose activity is based on the recycling of animal by-products, transforming them into bioproducts. The benefits are numerous, such as enhancing the recycling of nutrients and energy through reintroduction into the chain itself and removing from the environment substances with high potential for contamination. This concept of the circular economy has reduced the dependence on plant-based sources, thus decreasing the demand for cultivable areas and minimizing the destruction of forests.
Now, with half a century of experience, ETSA is a leading operator in industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, human food, fertilizers, animal feed, biodiesel, or aquaculture.
![Fábrica_da_Etsa](https://www.semapa.pt/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2_Etsa.jpeg)