County collects used cooking oil to save money on fuel

ALACHUA COUNTY – Alachua County is going green and saving the taxpayers' money in the process.

The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department's Hazardous Waste Collection program issued special recycling drums to food vendors at the Alachua County Fair, which occurred from Oct. 18 to Oct. 26.

The drums were used to collect vegetable oil waste, which can be used to create biodiesel fuel to power emergency generators and county vehicles.

The program also offers five different collection stations around the county for residents to drop off their vegetable oil waste.

Around 150 gallons of vegetable were collected during the fair, said John Mousa, environmental programs manager with the county's Environmental Protection Department. The program plans to continue expanding by collecting vegetable oil waste at other county-wide events, such as the upcoming City of Gainesville's Downtown Festival and Art Show on Nov. 16 and 17, and at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire on Jan. 25, 26 and 31 to Feb. 2.

“This encourages residents and homeowners from not putting the waste down the sink, which causes sewage problems,” Mousa said.

The program, which started in 2010 with a student project making biodiesel at Oak Hall High School in Gainesville, was expanded when the county received federal and state grants to obtain the right equipment to upscale the process.

The recycled vegetable waste is converted into biodiesel through a machine, and then mixed with methanol, a catalyst and is then burned into petroleum diesel which is used to fuel the county trucks.

The burning of biodiesel is a renewable fuel and is cleaner, with less harmful emission, Mousa said. The petroleum diesel is just as effective as regular diesel, with half the price.

“This is a win-win in terms of what we are doing, its impacts, and what the costs are,” said Chris Bird, director of the Environmental Protection Department in Alachua County.

It is important to know the distinction between biodiesel fuel that is made from raw vegetable oil and waste, Bird said.

“If you use raw product, you take away a food source,” he said.

During irrigation, the production of vegetable oil uses a lot of water, and it is more efficient to produce biodiesel with the recycled waste.

Throughout the past two years, over 700 gallons of waste vegetable oil have been collected at community events by Alachua County for biodiesel production. Because people bring the discarded oil to the county, it doesn't have to spend money picking up or purchasing the main ingredient.

Many local residents in downtown Gainesville are also participating in the recycling, helping to create fuel for the county.

“One lesson learned through this process is to start small," Bird said. "If it is successful build on it, and then expand.”

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