Darling Ingredients Inc.
DAR
Consumer Staples
5
exclusion reasons
4 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
On February 4, 2026, the Texas AG filed a major civil lawsuit against Darling Ingredients for unlawfully emitting putrid odors and toxic chemicals (Hydrogen Sulfide) from its Bastrop, TX facility. In March 2026, a judge approved a temporary injunction following over 1,400 community complaints and evidence of unauthorized wastewater discharges into a local creek. Investigation found Darling constructed an illegal dam and discharged pollutants in concentrations 39,000 times higher than background levels.
Darling has documented "blatant disregard" for state enforcement orders. The 2026 lawsuit stems from failure to comply with a 2024 TCEQ Agreed Order. Violation Tracker logs over 120 historical records including a 2024 OSHA penalty ($185k) for repeated safety failures.
Residents of Bastrop, TX described air near Darling facility as smelling like "festering dog vomit on fire" and "boiling blood," with health impacts documented up to 10 miles away. Over 1,400 community complaints filed. TX AG lawsuit documents systemic and ongoing violations of air quality and wastewater standards directly impacting human health and local ecosystems.
OSHA records indicate a pattern of "Repeat" violations related to Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures. A 2022 Final Order detailed a serious burn hazard where employees were exposed to trapped steam in a clogged vessel — a violation cited multiple times previously.
Darling Ingredients is the world's largest renderer of animal by-products (bones, blood, fat, feathers). The company is a primary service provider to industrial CAFO (factory farming) operations.
Research Sources
1 organization
Related Exclusions
Wondering what we do invest in?
The Naughty List
A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
Ethical Capital LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in Utah (CRD #316032). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.