Recycling used cooking oil is important for reduce our impact on the environment and in turn generate wealth. In this publication we will see the reasons for recycling oil and some uses that we can give it.
In Spain, the oil most used in cooking is olive oil (EVOO, virgin and refined), this vegetable oil has the advantage of being highly resistant to oxidation, which makes it possible to take advantage of the olive oil used in various frying, being a oil good for frying.
Other oils used in cooking are sunflower oil, palm oil, olive pomace…
Economic impact of recycling cooking oil
In total in Spain some 850,000 t of vegetable oils are consumed. Olive oil is the most demanded with around 500,000 t, followed by sunflower oil with approximately 300,000 t.
The calories in 1 liter of oil are equivalent to approximately the energy of 0.92 liters of diesel. Bearing in mind that 1 A liter of diesel without tax costs in Spain about €0.65 ( March 2019). We can give a potential value of €0.60 to each liter of used oil. Obviously, that value has it once the impurities have been removed and processed to convert it into biodiesel.The purchase price of used oil will normally not exceed 5% of the potential value, being situated in the best cases in the 0.30 €/litre.
A family of 4 people consumes an average of 70 liters of oil per year and can recycle about 35 liters of used oil annually. Economically, this barely represents a potential income of €10. However, businesses such as restaurants can recover thousands of euros thanks to the recycling of used oil.
If we extrapolate to the entire population, we end up with potential business figures of 120 million euros for olive oil used and a saving in fuel imports of more than €200 million.This is thousands of direct and indirect jobs.In addition, by reducing energy imports, it improves the balance of payments and the financing capacity of the state.
Unfortunately, more than half of the oil consumed ends up in the sink. Instead of taking advantage of a resource that generates wealth, throwing away used oil ends up producing significant expenses in wastewater treatment.
How to recycle used cooking oil?
Different containers are used to recycle used cooking oil, depending on whether the oil is hot or cold we must use one or the other. The most advisable way is to first use ceramic, metal or glass containers to store used oil. If we use plastic bottles, we must wait for the oil to be cold before filling the bottle.
Finally, we deliver the used oil to a collection point. In Extremadura and Andalusia, the company Rograsa is responsible for collecting and recycling used vegetable oil.
Before going to deliver the oil, it is necessary to put it inside a closed plastic bottle.
In this way, the risk of oil spills in the containers is reduced
In large cities, it is more common to find containers for recycling used oil than in towns.
Very Important: These containers are only for vegetable oil, they are not used to recycle mineral motor oils.
On the other hand, in the towns, it is where the used olive oil is most often used.
Uses of used oil
Traditionally, used vegetable fats and oils have been used for various uses.
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Lighting: The oil can be used for lamps, hence the name lampante olive oil. Before olive oil was refined, lamp oils were used for lamps. Similarly, used olive oil can be used for this purpose. For this purpose, special float wicks for oil lamps are used. - Making soap with used oil: this traditional use is one of the most frequent uses. Detergents and liquid soaps can be produced from soda soap bars.
- As fuel: it should be used with caution, as it has a high energy power.
Recommended reading
How much does a liter of olive oil weigh?
Where to buy olive oil online?
How many liters of oil does an olive tree produce?
Warning
We have translated the information on our website from Spanish to English. Please note that some words may have had their meaning altered during translation.