Whenever we think about innovation and environmental awareness, we think about grand gestures. The truth, though, is that change starts at home, and cooking oil is part of that.
Household oil waste is a topic of discussion worldwide. Its impact on the natural world is enormous: 1L of oil is capable of contaminating 1 million litres of water, which is enough to cover one person’s needs for 40 years.
So this waste should not be disposed of the traditional way. In fact, it should not be disposed of at all, since it can be turned into new, high-quality products. Shall we look at how cooking oil can be turned into other products?
What is the impact of cooking oil, and what is the best way to dispose of it?
Cooking oil is a common ingredient used to fry food, and it comes from plants. Once the food has been fried, the oil becomes waste. So what is the best way to get rid of that waste?
What a lot of people do, wrongly, is pour cooking oil down the drain (I have done it myself).
What are the consequences?
This common practice is the worst option and has an enormous negative impact. Why? Pouring cooking oil down the drain (which is to say down the toilet or the kitchen sink) increases the chances of damaging your pipes, because the grease can encourage pests and bacteria, and can end up lodging in the pipes and causing blockages, possibly a complete blockage, which means a flood in the house.
Once fried with, oils become Used Cooking Oil (UCO), since they carry a high potential to contaminate water resources and, as they break down, they become methane in the atmosphere.
What are the consequences for the environment?
Cooking oil poured away can also affect wastewater treatment plants. Grease can build up in the plant’s filters and cause blockages, stopping it working as it should. The result is that the water treatment process is compromised, making reuse harder.
The negative environmental impact can get worse still: if the oil is released into rivers, oceans or streams, it ends up harming all aquatic life. Oil stays on the surface of the water and blocks sunlight from getting through.
As a result it affects photosynthesis in aquatic plants (just as it does in non-aquatic ones) and stops them releasing oxygen. Given that they are the world’s true lungs, imagine the scale of the problem.
What is the right way to dispose of used cooking oil?
The best way to dispose of UCO is to find a cooking oil collection point, known in Portugal as oleões. The point may be run by the local council, by a waste management body or by cooking oil collection companies.
Another route is Quercus’s WasteApp platform, which lists places to drop off the various kinds of waste that cannot go in the recycling bins. You simply enter your address and the platform tells you the nearest place to leave the waste so that it can be recycled and reused.
One interesting point is that despite its high potential to contaminate, used cooking oil also has a high potential for recovery, since it can be used to produce soap, biodiesel and detergents. Ideally you should store the oil (once it has cooled) and send it to a collection body or to an oleão near you.
Used cooking oil under the law
Cooking oils are classified as waste under the European List of Waste (LoW). In Portugal, the producer is responsible for the waste generated and for where it ends up, under Decree-Law no. 178/2006.
Decree-Law no. 267/2009 established the legal regime for managing used cooking oil. It covers waste produced by industry, by hotels and restaurants, and by households. It sets out the rules for the separate collection circuit, transport, treatment and recovery. All of it has to be carried out by operators licensed to do so.
Circular economy: how is used cooking oil reused and transformed?
The circular economy does not only contribute positively to the environment, it also has an impact on our pockets.
Being more conscious and recycling your cooking oil day to day ends up:
- Reducing the environmental impact that UCO causes;
- Saving money by recycling oils and plastic containers with cooking oil collection companies;
- Earning social recognition, since the companies, hotels and schools that take part in the circular economy end up being recognised for their positive actions.
Green Grease: a programme for collecting and transforming UCO
For collecting used cooking oil there is a circular economy programme called Green Grease, an initiative for transforming the oil. Within that circular economy setup, it works with EcoX and Mistolin to produce ecological, biodegradable detergents.
How Green Grease works:
1. It collects used cooking oil from participating establishments:
Once you have bottled the oil, cooled, you can recycle it at a cooking oil collection point. Collection can sometimes be arranged through the partners of the organisations involved.
The oil is collected from the establishments taking part in the project, so that its transformation can begin. Collection can happen through the public network or through partners’ oleões.
2. Impurities are removed from the used cooking oil:
Once collected, the used cooking oil goes to the organisation that will carry out the transformation.
That transformation comes down to filtering and purifying the oil. The process removes dirt and other elements that could affect the quality of the new products.
3. The used cooking oil is turned into biodegradable detergents:
Once the used cooking oil has been purified, a range of products can be made from it: soap, hand soap, biodiesel and even detergent. In Green Grease’s case the products are hand sanitiser gel, degreasers, washing-up liquid, laundry detergent and multi-surface disinfectant. All the products are high quality, non-corrosive and biodegradable.
4. The value of the oil is converted into discounts:
Every litre of used cooking oil collected is paid for. That return turns into discounts on EcoX ecological products, and so the organisations become part of the circular economy. As an oil supplier you should also return the empty detergent containers to be refilled.
What are the benefits of being part of Green Grease?
The biggest benefit of the project is easy enough to see: the positive environmental impact. The oil is not discarded but reused, without affecting the performance of the product it becomes. So these are the benefits of holding the Green Grease seal:
- Payment for every litre of oil collected;
- A programme designed for restaurants, councils, hotels, social solidarity institutions and schools;
- Guaranteed collection through Mistolin Solutions or other partners;
- An ecological seal and awards in partnership with Quercus;
- Being part of a pioneering circular economy solution;
- Reduced environmental impact in recovering a waste stream and in producing and distributing the detergents.
Does transforming UCO make the new products perform worse?
A lot of people assume that products derived from UCO must be lower quality. Is that actually the case? The answer is no.
Although the oil has already been used, the transformation process is rigorous. To start with, the resulting products meet demanding quality standards such as ISO:9001, which exists to raise customer satisfaction. A detergent made from cooking oil can therefore be used for demanding cleaning jobs.
On top of that, the products combine two factors that make them more appealing still. They are:
- made without animal testing, and so cruelty-free;
- and biodegradable, which makes them a great ally to the environment.
At home I am already a fan of products made from used oils. If you would like to try them and be surprised by the results, you can use my 10% discount code JOANAM10 at EcoX.
What is the impact of recycling used cooking oil?
Environmental awareness is a process that does not start with grand gestures but with small details, cooking oil among them. This waste should be recycled so that it contributes to a new kind of economy and to a positive impact.
1. Less resource extraction
Extracting natural resources to make ecological products can be reduced by up to 50%. Even so, the product achieves a result that meets the quality standards of ISO:9001 certification and the environmental standards of ISO:14001.
2. Everything gets reused
In the circular economy nothing is left out; everything is reused, including the container the cooking oil product comes in. It is sanitised, checked and comes back to package a new product.
The plastic, which the consumer can also send in, is remoulded into a unique container.
3. It is part of a process of innovation and environmental awareness
The idea of transforming cooking oils is part of a cultural shift that moves us towards a more sustainable future. By constantly reusing the oil and the containers, care for the environment is constantly promoted.
4. It gives waste value
The positive impact of reusing used cooking oil is undeniable. EcoX was a world pioneer in producing ecological detergents from waste, but it is not the only producer.
Just as used oil is not the only product that can be reused. Reusing cooking oils is only the first step in rethinking our consumption and, of course, our waste.
All sorts of institutions and companies that use cooking oil day to day can take part in the circular economy and contribute to innovation and environmental awareness. We all gain from it, environmentally and financially alike.
Anyone can join in and contribute to this ecological movement, you and me included. So when you get rid of your cooking oil, remember to take it to the right place!
