RECYCLE WASTE OIL AND DONATE!

The fight against climate change is a global problem, but every one of us can contribute with local action. If 25 years ago the reason for not acting was the lack of knowledge on how to mitigate climate change, today we have no excuse. Used residue cooking oil from food preparation turns into waste which seriously contaminates the environmental media. Due to inappropriate disposal of this type of waste, waste oil is the most common cause of contamination of surface and ground water, as well as of soil. Although biodegradable, one litre of used cooking oil can contaminate up to one million litres of water, while 40% of the problems with sewer clogs are caused by hardening and deposition of improperly disposed waste oils and fats. At the same time, it is a valuable raw material. Recycled cooking oil can be used in the production of biodiesel, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels in the transport sector and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. One litre of biofuel reduces the emission of 3 kg of CO2, which is a 92% reduction in the use of diesel fuel.

I learned about the positive aspects of waste oil recycling at the event organised at the EU Info Centre titled "Do we select waste in our homes?" as part of the “European Week for Waste Reduction”. Motivated by the environmental benefits, I took one container home and immediately began to collect used cooking oil. It took me a long time to fill a 3 litre container, so I decided to share this experience with my colleagues and collect waste oil together. At the beginning, there were three of us and in 4-6 months we managed to fill out the first container and hand it over to a company authorised to collect, store, process and treat used cooking oil and fats and produce biodiesel. When collecting the used cooking oil, they provide us with new and clean packaging for continuous and hygienic waste collection. This climate action also has a humanitarian appeal since for every 3 litres of waste oil collected, 0.5 litres of cooking oil is donated to the Association of Citizens for Helping Homeless and Socially Disadvantaged Families "Ljubeznost".

In addition, I educated my colleagues from GIM and IEGE so that they can become aware of the harm that can be caused by waste oils if not disposed of properly, and how we can all contribute towards mitigating climate change and improving the condition in the environmental media. The results so far and the positive feedback that I got show that education and such eco-actions can raise environmental awareness and gradually change the habits, which is beneficial for the environment. Every one of us can contribute by being the change he/she wants to see!