Fact Sheet: Recycling Cooking Oil - San Jose Recycles

City of San José Zero Waste
Fact Sheet: Recycling Cooking Oil
Did you know that cooking oil can be
recycled?
Event organizers should make arrangements for oil collection
containers to be located in the food preparation area. After
the cooking oil is used to prepare food, the used oil should be
drained into the oil collection containers, which are picked up and
transported to an oil recycling facility. Never pour cooking oil in the
storm or sanitary drains.
The U.S. generates over 3
billion gallons of waste
cooking oil per year. This
amount could fill tanker trucks
arranged bumper to bumper from
San Francisco to Washington
D.C. and back !
Source: EPA, 2007
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF
RECYCLING COOKING OIL?
Recycling cooking oil provides a cleaner burning fuel, minimizes
landfill disposal, and helps to prevent pollution in our streams and
creeks. Cooking oil has a beneficial use as fuel that could power
properly equipped trucks and cars and reduce our dependence
on traditional fossil fuels.
On average, B20 can reduce particulate matter by approximately
17%, carbon monoxide emissions by approximately 17%, and
hydrocarbons by approximately 12%, or up to 50% compared to
petroleum diesel. (EPA: 2006)
cooking oil and grease is
one of the major causes of
sewer main clogs resulting
in sewer spills and increased
maintenance costs.
Source: www.dot.ca.gov
Zero Waste
Closing the Loop
HOW IS COOKING OIL RECYCLED
INTO BIO-DIESEL?
Recycling cooking oil begins with the filtering process to remove
the food particles and suspended solids. Afterwords, the filtered
cooking oil is heated to evaporate the water and taken to a facility
to be converted into bio-diesel.
The bio-diesel is then purchased by fuel companies who mix
it with diesel to create a blend. These blends can be mixed to
different grades, such as B20 (20% bio-diesel and 80% diesel)
and B10 (10% bio-diesel and 90% diesel) which are distributed to
various gas stations.
What was once a pollutant
in our sewer systems is now a
renewable energy source, supplying
clean burning fuels and helping
to combat climate change.
Source: www.sustainablefoodservice.net

Fact Sheet: The Life Cycle of Cooking Oil
Visit www.sjrecycles.org/events-venues/ for tips on how to collect and recycle cooking oil at your event.
Bio-Diesel is purchased to
fuel trucks that transport
products to stores.
The blends are
distributed to gas
stations.
Companies purchase
bio-diesel to create
different blends (biodiesel
and diesel
blended together).
Recycled oil is brought
to a facility to be
processed into
bio-diesel.
Start Here►
Cooking oil is used
to prepare food during a
special event.
In Accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, City of San José
Environmental Services Department materials can be made available upon
request in alternative formats, such as braille, large print, audio-tape or
computer disk. Requests may be made by calling
(408) 535-8550 (voice) or (800) 735-2929 (CRS).
Used cooking oil is
drained into special
collection containers at
the close of the day
and/or event.
Recyclers pick up
and recycle the oil at
their facility.
The used cooking oil is
filtered to remove
food particles and heated
to remove water.
200 East Santa Clara Street, 10th Floor San José, CA 95113 tel (408) 535-8550 fax (408) 292-6211