Have you ever considered that environment is not just about mining, farming, soil erosion, or other major things like those? In fact, it is all about the everyday actions each of us takes, that add up to all the major environmental concerns in the world. We think it’s just a few drops of water, but they add up to gallons. Similarly, we think it’s just a few drops of used cooking oil being washed in the kitchen sink, but they add up to clogged drains, sewage issues, and other environmental hazards.
In urban settings, these few drops of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) matters even more, because the scale is massive. Add to it the fact that urban setups are not only densely populated, they also have a whole lot of commercial F&B establishments. Restaurants, eateries, ‘dhabas’, even ghost kitchens, and street vendors. Tons of UCO are produced, and there’s no planned or scientific disposal.
The real question is, how can this situation be dealt with?
- To begin with, Used Cooking Oil should be not be drained from the kitchen or disposed of in the sewer.
- The next step is to collect all the used cooking oil in a disposable container.
- After that, the used cooking oil needs to be discarded in an environment-friendly manner. This can also mean selling it to registered UCO aggregators and collectors.
- Government guidelines encourage UCO aggregators and collectors to get registered with authorized agencies like RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil)
- UCO at a commercial scale is sold to soap manufacturers as well. At the same time, aggregators often supply it to be used to produce biodiesel and glycerine by a simple chemical process called ‘transesterification’.
While the government, environmental activists, as well as the biodiesel industry are doing their bit, the question still remains, what can we do as individual consumers of cooking oil?
As everyday consumers of oil, we need to use it responsibly. We need to ensure that we heat oil only twice, and collect the rest of the oil at home. When we eat out, or order in, we can at least demand to see the certificate from our restaurant, to show the quantity and date when they handed over their latest lot of used cooking oil. Similarly, there are many other smaller initiatives we can plan.
How can we change our domestic UCO disposal patterns?
Is it possible to collaborate with aggregators, governments, and local small F&B entrepreneurs and to figure out efficient UCO disposal mechanisms?
While there are a lot of questions to ponder upon, there are also more possibilities to explore. After all, the environment is a collective responsibility. Just like every drop counts, so does every ounce of collective effort. So, if you want to join hands with us about making a collaborative effort, fill out the contact form, and just let us know!
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