Abstract
The potential of households’ used cooking oil (UCO) recycling for biodiesel production is massive. This study aims to promote the shift from UCO inappropriate disposal to sustainable recycling. UCO is classified as municipal waste under the code 20 01 25 (edible oils and fats), according to the European Waste Catalogue. Inappropriate UCO disposal increases the operating cost of wastewater treatment, the risk of groundwater contamination, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with its biodegradation. Recycling UCO-to-biodiesel offers a sustainable solution in the exploitation of a problematic waste and its transformation into an energy resource, thus contributing to the reduction of environmental pollution and fossil fuel dependence. This paper includes critical recommendations in order to overcome bottlenecks to successfully promote the UCO-to-biodiesel chain. Quality control of the biodiesel—produced exclusively from UCO—was performed according to the European Standard EN 14214 and the results are presented in the paper. The analysis studies the outcomes from four Southern European countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece), which hold the top four places in annual per capita olive oil consumption in the European Union (EU).
Highlights
Diesel is considered to be one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution problems worldwide; turning to more environmentally friendly and sustainable fuels has today become a necessity in combating increased Greenhouse Gas (GHG) levels and climate change
All 24 Used Cooking Oil (UCO) samples met the specifications of EN 14214: 2012 regarding density, viscosity, flash point, cetane number, copper strip corrosion, cold filter plugging point (CFPP), cloud point, linolenic acid methyl ester, polyunsaturated methyl esters, acid value, glycerides content, glycerol content, phosphorus content, and metals Ca/Mg content
Further support of efficient systems to collect and treat UCO produced in households; The bottled UCO collection is preferred versus the bulk one; European Union (EU) policymakers should take measures in favour of decentralised local biodieselproduction, which will change the local collection culture, as well as the production infrastructure; Capacity building efforts will improve the awareness of the policymakers
Summary
Diesel is considered to be one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution problems worldwide; turning to more environmentally friendly and sustainable fuels has today become a necessity in combating increased Greenhouse Gas (GHG) levels and climate change. When UCO is improperly disposed, it can cause a significant environmental burden; if it is collected and recycled, it can be proven to be an efficient energy resource. UCO may clog the sewage pipelines, causing malfunctions in the filters and to oil/water separators of wastewater treatment facilities [4,5]. Even though the European Union (EU) domestic sector is the main source of UCO, widespread collection systems are still missing. Additional barriers, such as the lack of strong incentives and the limited distribution supply chain networks for UCO based biodiesel were already highlighted in previous studies [8,9]. Key success factors for developing a sustainable system have been recorded [11] and they mainly involve the motivation of citizens through setting up a “citizen-friendly” UCO disposal scheme; a strategic focus on citizens’ awareness with regular, targeted, multi-channel communication activities; and, active engagement of local administrations, municipal waste management companies and relevant stakeholders
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