Sep 21, 2006 6:15 pm US/Central
North Texas Restaurants Turning Fry Oil Into Fuel
Cooking Oil To Be Recycled Into Fuel
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Dozens of restaurants across North Texas have found another way to get rid of greasy cooking oil. Thousands of gallons will now be given to an effort working for cleaner air and better health.
It's called the "Fry Oil to Fuel" program, and the list of supporters is growing rapidly.
Blake Morgan works in the recycling department of Biodiesel Industries, and he says many restaurants are participating in the program. "Luckys, Good Eats, Cantina Laredo, III Forks, El Chico, The Spaghetti Warehouse, and a lot of the other are mom and pop businesses have joined in," he said.
In September, Biodiesel Industries teamed up with Consolidated Restaurant Operations (CRO), which represents restaurants across North Texas. Now, more than 130 restaurants are giving their used cooking oil to the company, which will convert it into diesel fuel.
In the DFW area, over 30,000 gallons of cooking oil are thrown out each year.
Restaurants seem to be excited about the way they're recycling. Some consider the partnership a way to help out the community.
Bill Watson is the Vice President of Marketing at CRO, and he says, "The biodiesel fuel that's being created will be used by municipal vehicles like school buses and other sorts of transportation in and around surrounding suburbs."
Organizers of the program believe that health and environment improvements are underway.
"Its cleaner burning and produced domestically, and all the dollars from its revenue stays here at home to support local economy. Biodiesel is non-toxic and it biodegrades faster than sugar. The people working with it only complaint is that they smell like french fries as oppose to toxic chemicals that make our traditional fuels," Morgan said.
Vacuum trucks pick up the oil from the restaurants every two weeks and it's delivered to recycling plants. Both Biodiesel Industries and CRO say this venture will catch on and they expect others to jump on board. Watson says things will really heat up when fast food restaurants jump in. That's where huge amounts of vegetable oils are used.
Watson also says that their restaurants used to give the used greasy oil to be recycled for fertilizer, but the need for cleaner fuel is needed much more now than ever before. He says it was not a difficult decision to make the switch on who recycles the used oil and why.
(CBS 11 News)
