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Re-use of used cooking oils as bio-diesel
Published on 23 April 2021
Ireland
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About this good practice
Frylite developed a ground breaking complete supply and waste collection service, providing free equipment to the food service business, ensuring that it is more efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable. Frylite’s used cooking oil containers are cleaned and reused several times, contributing towards their overall sustainability as a business. Their end of life plastic containers are transferred to a plastics recycling plant in Northern Ireland thus retaining waste in NI. Frylite’s fleet of road vehicles carry pre-filled containers of cooking oils and factored goods but are equipped with fresh oil & waste oil tanks supplying high quality food oils that can be pumped direct to bulk tanks located at customer premises and for the bulk transfer of waste oil from containers and tanks also located at their customer sites. All waste oils and fats collected are transferred from each Frylite depot to Strabane for processing, which involves the emptying of containers to facilitate the heating and separation of impurities and effluents from the oil which is then tankered to bio-diesel manufacturers in ROI, UK, and the Continent. Empty containers are washed and reused. Sludges & food waste from the process are sent to anaerobic digestion facilities in NI, where the material is converted to energy such as electricity and biogas and fertiliser.
Resources needed
Equipment, specialist vehicles.
Evidence of success
Frylite collects over 20,000 tonnes per annum of used cooking oil (UCO) reclaiming approximately 85% to be sold for bio-diesel manufacture. Sludges & effluents are processed and recycled via AD for energy/power/gas generation. Effluents are discharged under consent. Frylite are working on an efficiency & sustainability project - creating ‘slurry’ from their heavy sludges and effluent which will reduce costs of these processes, reduces effluents going into sewer, by adding creating energy via AD.
Potential for learning or transfer
Frylite’s operations for UCO and food waste are fully licensed and meet all regulatory requirements. This includes waste licensing for each depot, waste collection permits and cross-border registrations. Frylite ensures that all collections are covered with the issuing of waste transfer notes to each customer. Frylite is certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) scheme. Production of biodiesel requires they be compliant with the EU RED and operate sustainably, which requires demonstrating traceability of waste material and calculating greenhouse gas emissions. Frylite is working towards a Prosperity Agreement (PA) with the NI Environment Agency (NIEA). PAs are voluntary agreements, through which NIEA and Frylite explore opportunities for reducing environmental impacts, create economic prosperity and well-being. Projects involve improving greater efficiencies in their processes & transport operation & innovation to deal with environmental concerns.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Donegal County Council
Ireland
Contact
Project Executive