Do you recycle used cooking oil?!
The oil is an indelible ingredient in the kitchen, that we can use in many ways, from sprinkling salads, slices of bread to donuts or spring packs. Although frying is a culinary method that does not have a place in the diet of small children and is avoided even by adults, there are recipes that we want to recreate from time to time. In this situation it is advisable to use oils suitable for roasted foods with a high combustion point. Read more about oil types in the article: Oils and their cooking temperature.
Reasons to recycle waste oil
But what do we do with the oil left after we enjoy our grandmother’s occasional scoffing? Under no circumstances should we throw the used oil into the sink! Here are some reasons why we should selectively collect and recycle used food oil:
• Washed waste oil is deposited on the walls of the sewer system, degrading the pipes and causing undesirable effects such as corrosion of drainage pipes and impediment to the operation of the wastewater treatment plants.
• The maintenance costs of sewage treatment plants, pipes and drainage systems may reach up to five times higher than usual, resulting in an increased cost for the entire community.
• Inappropriate disposal of food oil has a major negative impact on the environment. All forms of life need water to survive, and when the food oil is shed in the public sewer system, it can reach rivers, lakes, having a devastating effect on fish, plants, birds, and more.
• More than that, water cleaning is heavy and costly. Did you know that only one liter of oil contaminates one million liters of water?
How is waste oil used?
The good news is that used food oil can be recycled by specific technologies and reused as an alternative energy source. One liter of waste oil results in approximately 0.90 liters of biodiesel, and to selectively collect and recycle used oil, we have some very easy steps to take:
• Leave the oil in the pot where it was cooked until it has cooled completely. Do not try to dispose of it in another container while it is still hot because there is a risk of serious injuries. When the remaining amount of oil is too small to be poured into another pot, it can be wiped with a napkin and dumped into the garbage.
• Choose a recipe to collect the oil you use. You can use plastic bottles (2 or 5 liters), buckets, or any lid with lid.
• Give the waste oil to environmental organizations. In large cities there are free oil collection programs or companies that pay for higher oil quantities.
• If the donation / recycling of oil is not a viable option, you can throw the oil container in the trash container carefully after carefully wrapping the lid. Enjoy cooking and recycling!
Sources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Dispose-of-Cooking-Oil
http://www.scribd.com/doc/7191794/Cooking-Oil-Waste#scribd
http://www.uleiosul.com/
Photo by:
https://flic.kr/p/8GsZGy