Omaha co-op turns used oil from fish fries, restaurants into motor fuel

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Sun Mar 29, 2015, 02:17 PM - Edit history (1)

X post in environment-Energy



MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Eric Williams, co-founder and president of the Omaha Biofuels Cooperative, with the finished motor fuel, left, and unfiltered oil. At a production facility in South Omaha, used cooking oil gathered from area church fish fries and restaurants is cleaned up and made suitable for use in powering the motor vehicles owned by the co-op members.

http://www.omaha.com/money/omaha-co-op-turns-used-oil-from-fish-fries-restaurants/article_7105cf7b-60e3-5c61-aad9-00aead95fa5a.html

POSTED: THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 1:00 AM
By Russell Hubbard / World-Herald staff writer

Pat Rupp runs the fish fries at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Gretna, and found himself with a 300-gallon problem.

The church puts on six fish fries a year, a major fundraising effort. Rupp, a Knights of Columbus volunteer, said he and his kitchen crew often serve 1,000 people per event.


Omaha Biofuels converts the waste oil from the Henry Doorly Zoo’s concession stand fryers into biodiesel for the zoo’s passenger train.


The fried goodies come with a byproduct: used cooking oil. About 50 gallons of it per event. Rupp has tried holding tanks and haul-away services (smelly), and even had someone advise him to barrel it up himself and haul it up the road to a busy restaurant for recycling (time-consuming).

Just in time for this year’s Lenten season, a savior appeared: the Omaha Biofuels Cooperative, which is collecting used cooking oil from many area churches. The group places collection barrels out back free of charge and picks up the used oil the next day.

FULL great story at link.



MATT MILLER/THE WORLD-HERALD

The 50 gallons of used oil generated by each fish fry at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Gretna now is picked up by Omaha Biofuels.

[TwilightGardener]

1. The walleye stench must be insane.

I don't want to know which "busy restaurant" offered to recycle it.