The oil from the fryers, the grease from the grill and griddle, the lard cut from meat–all of this greasy garbage may seem like it has no purpose when you haul it to the trash bin at your lace of business. However, if you are a thoughtful restaurant owner, you will do what you can to recycle this grease into something useful. When you contract a grease recycling service for your place of business, they will usually make it easy for you to discard your grease by providing you with a receptacle that they empty as needed. But why is recycling grease a good environmentally-friendly thing to do? Here's what that old grease can be used for once it is recycled.
The oil can be repurposed into fuel that can be put to good use.
Through a process known as hydrogenation or hydrocracking, the molecules of the grease are changed and can then be converted to a form of fuel that is used to power all kinds of different types of machinery and engines. This is highly advantageous because not only is a waste product being put to good use, but the fuel that results from the process is known as a clean-burning fuel that is not hard on the environment like diesel or gasoline can be.
The recycled grease can be used to generate heat.
Once the grease has been processed and cleaned, it can actually be used as a heat source for specific types of heaters. Some stoves are now created to burn a product known as biofuel pellets, which is essentially compressed wood fibers and repurposed, purified grease that is gained through the many grease recycling programs. Compared to other forms of heating, such as with natural gas or electricity, heating with the grease biofuel is efficient and inexpensive. And as a renewable source, it is kinder to the environment than many other forms of heat fuel.
The processed grease can be used in manufacturing.
Grease is a byproduct in itself, but once refined and processed, it can be combined with other ingredients to create all kinds of things in the manufacturing business. Grease is necessary for some forms of plastic and automobile component production, for example, but has many different purposes. When you recycle your grease, it could be processed and sent off to a local manufacturer for use in their production processes to become another usable product.
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