Renewable energy
Some of the cooking oils and fats we collect can be grouped and identified as Used Cooking Oil (UCO). UCO can be refined and made into standard bio-diesel for use in cars, vans and trucks.
Making bio-diesel
Bio-diesel is most commonly produced by a process called transesterification.
Very simply explained, this process is achieved by introducing an alcohol-based chemical to the UCO, which reacts with the mixture to create bio-diesel. The resulting product has combustion properties similar to petroleum diesel.
Using bio-diesel
Bio-diesel can be used effectively by individuals and companies with small and large fleets.
It can be used in any diesel engine vehicle, usually without any need for an engine conversion. It can also be used interchangeably with regular diesel.
Renewable energy
The UK is committed to lowering CO2 emissions as well as producing more energy from sustainable and renewable sources, from wind farms to bio-fuels
Bio-diesel, especially when produced through recycling waste product, makes a significant contribution to meeting these objectives.
Fuel for thought
‘If all 30m litres of used oil London produces each year were recycled it could green the emissions of 18,000 diesel vehicles’. Source: The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/oct/18/biofuels.
ethicalliving
2008/02/07/eabiofuel207.xml
