Recycled cooking oil saves money and energy

If you’re one of the many people who have been recycling used cooking oil at the Hertfordshire County Council Household Waste Recycling Centre, your efforts have not been in vain.

Hertfordshire County Council and its residents have been presented with a certificate by green energy company, Living Fuels, who praised the county for recycling enough used cooking oil to provide the energy for five million cups of tea!

Used cooking oil has traditionally been difficult to dispose of and research has shown that the majority of householders in the UK are still throwing it down the sink. But getting rid of cooking oil this way not only harms watercourses and wildlife but also adds to your water bill.

Many Hertfordshire residents are already recycling used cooking oil responsibly, thanks to a scheme pioneered by Living Fuels, in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council.

Living Fuels provides used cooking oil tanks at sites around the county so residents can dispose of their oil in a way that won’t damage the environment.

Once collected, the dirty oil is recovered into a clean, green bioliquid called LF100 through a 100 per cent natural process involving no additional chemicals or heat. This fuels CHP (combined heat and power) units which generate carbon-neutral electricity and heat that is fed into the National Grid.

Rob Murphy, operations director of Living Fuels said: “Pouring oil down the drain has been causing problems with the Victorian drainage system in the UK for a while now, and the problem is only going to keep getting worse if people aren’t educated about the perils of tipping their waste oil down the drain.

“By recycling your used cooking oil, you really are benefiting the environment. Living Fuels are proud to be working with the people of Hertfordshire to help reduce the county’s carbon footprint and save money on water bills.”

Derrick Ashley, cabinet member for transformation, performance and waste management, added: “Hertfordshire residents work really hard to do their bit to protect the environment by recycling and reducing waste. However, by disposing of cooking oil responsibly we can make even more of a difference. This is a win, win scenario as the cooking oil tanks are free to use at our HWRCs around the county and by using them, residents are protecting the environment and ultimately reducing their water bills as well.”

To find your nearest Hertfordshire Household Waste Recycling Centre that takes waste vegetable oil or for general information about recycling and centre opening hours visit www.wasteaware.org.uk.

For further information about recycling oil at other sites visit www.livingfuels.co.uk.