“Not a Drop” – coordinated collection of used cooking oil
About this good practice
The practice is initiated by a private actor, Biotrans Ltd. (having an ISCC certificate) to organize a collection program for residential used cooking oil responding the increasing demand of municipalities. The practice is a successful example of partnership between public actors and engaged provate ones.
Although steps have been taken in the last decade to start the selective collection of pollutants that are highly polluting to the environment and built infrastructure, the sparse system is inefficient and used almost exclusively by highly environmentally conscious citizens.
If ordered by a municipality, Biotrans Ltd. installs the 240-liter trash can specially designed for the collection of used cooking oil at the location indicated by the local government.
The aim of the “Not a Drop!” system is for as many municipalities as possible to set up cooking oil collection points in their area, so that population puts as little effort as possible into disposing of this waste in an environmentally friendly way.
The Programme now operates with great success in more than 800 settlements. With the settlements indicating their intention to join, the reach will be at least 5,168,000 by the end of 2021.
Once a year, for each useful kg collected at the collection point, they pay a refund to an association/foundation designated by the municipality/ separate environmental fund of the municipality.
The service is free of charge and the public partners have no financial obligations.
Resources needed
The program is free for the participating municipalities and other public organizations. The company providing the service has to have an official certificate.
It is also essential to have the proper high capacity transport fleet, traceable performance and the required legal licence.
Evidence of success
It has reached more than 2,745,000 inhabitants. The financial reimbursement given to the municipalities under the social responsibility program promotes the achievement of the goals of local communities, contributes to the development of the settlement and even encourages the selective collection/disposal. In this way, environmental awareness can also become a help, a community-retaining and community-forming force. The amount spent on sewer systems/wastewater treatment plants also decreased.
Potential for learning or transfer
Applicable for municipalities struggling to ensure an environment-friendly way to collect and reuse used cooking oil and fat. At the same time, the solution serves also social goals.
Due to the advantage of the drip-free discharge system, the receiving institutions are less afraid that the material will contaminate the collection environment, there is practically no risk of spillage. However, the advantage of the system is that the waste is transported by replacing the collector instead of simply emptying it: a cleaned and disinfected new collector is sent to the collection point each time.
As a result of the innovation, a completely new selective collection system can be developed, which is very popular with the public due to its networking, wider range of materials to be delivered, social responsibility program, easy-to-transport container and rapid spread on social media.
The refund per kilogram is fair and guarantees that the service will be stable and continuous.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Biotrans Kft.