Additional information is available at the end of the chapter http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/53163. Introduction " commitment to sustainability and an understanding of the concepts of "cleaner production" are current requirements for achieving environmentally-friendly industrial practices. Such concepts promote the minimization of fresh water consumption, a reduction in wastewater production and the recycling of wastes. Hence, in a world where water scarcity and climate change are a reality, actions to protect fresh water resources and enhance renewable energy capacity are mandatory for any type and size of industry. With reference to solid wastes, social and environmental responsibility goes beyond the obligations determined by law and relies on substantial technical research to establish a strict environmental management policy.
Meat processing plants worldwide use approximatelyMm³ per year of water. Only a small amount of this quantity becomes a component of the final product. The remaining part becomes wastewater with high biological and chemical oxygen demands, high fat content and high concentrations of dry residue, sedimentary and total suspended matter as well as nitrogen and chloride compounds Sroka et al., . Of the components usually found in these effluents, blood can be considered as the most problematic due to its capacity to inhibit floc formation during physicochemical wastewater treatment and its high biochemical "OD , biochemical oxygen demand during decomposition over a -day period and chemi- cal oxygen demand COD . In fact, even with correct handling during meat processing, this activity generates . and . liters of blood as effluent for each bovine animal and pig, respectively Tritt & Schuchardt,. The treatment of both the solid wastes and the wastewater from the meat processing industry represents one of the greatest concerns associated with the agro-industrial sector globally, mainly due to the restrictions that international trade regulations have imposed over their use and the related environmental issues.In order to meet this challenge, one of the largest meat processing companies in "razilian initiated a series of investments in scientific research to improve its environmental performance. "iomass as an energy source, air pollution control, and water and wastewater management were the main issues addressed in research projects carried out from to .The "razilian agro-industrial sector consumes large amounts of fresh water and produces large amounts of residues and by-products, which can potentially be used as energy sources. The "razilian legislation itself admits the need for water management in industrial plants to implement cleaner production techniques, which include the conscious uses of water. There are several legal documents that promote the recognition of water as public property and a finite resource with economic value. These legal norms and legislation are gathered in a single official document called Set of legal regulations water resources "razil, and promote the rationalizatio...