Have you ever given a thought while having a burger or fries in any restaurant about what happens to the rest of the cooking oil after frying your burger patty or your fries?
Well, you should because solely in the USA, each year, 1.1 million metric tons of used cooking oil waste is generated. Most of this used cooking oil waste goes down the sink or into the garbage disposals. This causes environmental contamination. Other than doing that, there’s a revolution going on behind the kitchen that uses this waste to turn into green fuels.
The world is suffering from the choices it has made by using fossil fuels for so many years. Now, the world is looking for renewable and green alternatives. One of these promising alternative fuels is biodiesel made from cooking oil waste. This enables the waste to get repurposed and helps us to get a cleaner fuel.
What Is Biodiesel Made Of?
Biodiesel is an alternative green fuel that is produced from vegetable oil, animal oil or fats, tallow, and waste cooking oil. The process used to convert these oils into biodiesel is called transesterification. The largest sources of biodiesel come from rapeseed, palm, or soybean.
But the problem is, these edible raw oils are very costly and it is not practical to use them for making biodiesel for commercial purposes. Used cooking oil is abundant and doesn’t serve any crucial purpose after it gets used once.
A good solution to this problem is using used cooking oil as the feedstock for biodiesel. The biodiesel coming from used vegetable cooking oil waste has the capability to compete with fossil fuel-based diesel.
Environmental Impact and Benefits
The transportation sector is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The need for alternative, environmentally friendly fuel options is necessary to fight climate change.
Using biodiesel, the lifecycle of carbon dioxide released is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed from growing soybeans or other feedstock used to produce the fuel.
B100 biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 74% compared to petroleum-based diesel. The air quality also improves by using biodiesel as fuel.
Biodiesel, in its pure, unblended form, causes far less damage than petroleum diesel if spilled or released into the environment. It is safer than petroleum diesel because it is less combustible. The flashpoint for biodiesel is higher than 130°C, compared with about 52°C for petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is safe to handle, store, and transport.
Businesses Turning Waste into Fuel
Let’s take a look at the businesses that are turning this waste into biodiesel.
The UAE aims for net zero emissions by 2050 and 30% energy by 2030. The Middle Eastern countries are investing millions in developing sustainable fuel alternatives. One of these businesses is named Lootah Biofuels in Dubai. Lootah Biofuels converts used cooking oil into biodiesel to support sustainable energy. The company collects 500,000 liters of used oil per month from restaurant chains and transforms it into green fuels. The company also uses technology like mobile apps to collect used cooking oil more efficiently. The company produces more than 770 tons of biofuels in a year.
In the USA, many restaurants like Miami’s Cerveceria La Tropical are recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel. Also, other startups like Filta collect and filter oil for reuse or convert it into biodiesel. Large restaurant chains like McDonald’s and KFC are also working on this initiative. These restaurant chains recycled 290M lbs of oil in 2022, cutting 67M lbs of waste. Big brands like Chick-fil-A partnered with Darling Ingredients to turn oil into renewable diesel.
Many startups are growing in this sector in South Asian regions also. In India, a startup named KNP Arises collects 3 million litters of used cooking oil from 40+ Indian cities and turns them into biodiesel.
How the Process Works
So, how do businesses turn this waste oil and grease into biodiesel?
At first, the waste cooking oil is collected from the restaurants and stored in refinery tankers. In this waste, there are water and food particles. After filtering, the oil is put inside a heater and heated up to 200 degrees. This removes the water and food particles in the oil. After the oil is clean, it is placed inside a reactor and mixed with methanol and a catalyst (potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide). This process is also known as transesterification, which converts oil into biodiesel using chemicals. When the reaction happens, there is glycerin at the bottom and biodiesel on the top. After the glycerin is removed, the biodiesel is ready to use.
The Future of Biodiesel from Waste Oil
The world is now dependent on fossil fuels, but fossil fuels are running out. And the prices of fossil fuel-based diesel are increasing rapidly. It is high time the world looks for a better alternative. When used cooking oil isn’t recycled properly, it can contaminate the environment. One litter of used cooking oil can pollute 20,000 liters of water.
Many countries use used cooking oil for the second time, which can cause health risks like cancer and heart disease. So, the solution of using biodiesel from used cooking oil can have a positive impact on both the environment and human life. Biodiesel not only cuts carbon emissions, it can also create a circular economy opportunity for restaurants.
The future of using used cooking oil for biodiesel making seems promising. Many startups are coming into this sector, and investments are growing strong. Even in some cases, the investments are growing much more in comparison to fossil fuel-based businesses. Also, many businesses are partnering with major restaurant chains to create an efficient and circular model for creating biodiesel. They are also introducing technologies like waste tracking systems and apps to make it more efficient. Soon, the world may see a major shift in the transportation sector, which will be better for our environment and well-being.
