Research Article: Preparation for Establishing Environmentally and Socially Friendly Business in the Biomass Town of Imizu City, Toyama, Japan: A Case Study of the Waste Vegetable Oil–Recycling Business

Abstract

Waste vegetable oil (WVO) collection from residents and its use in producing biofuel, which has many applications (e.g., as fuel for vehicles), have generated tremendous interest in Japan. Trials in this regard are mainly conducted in the so-called Biomass Town projects proposed by local governments. A Biomass Town project is the concept of establishing a sustainable, recycling-oriented society for recovering biomass, which is a recoverable energy source. In this study, nationwide studies were conducted to investigate the methods used by local governments to collect WVO in Japan; further, other investigations were carried out through circulating questionnaires to determine the best way in which to collect WVO from residents in Imizu City. These investigations found that each local government had exerted considerable effort to establish a system for collecting WVO from its residents, within their cultural and social limitations. Imizu City concluded that emulsion oil was a more profitable choice than biodiesel fuel for business, and that the generation of emulsion oil should be 600, 400, or 300 liters per day for two, three, or four workdays per week, respectively, for a monthly revenue of more than 40,000 yen, under the condition that the emulsion ratio is 80% kerosene and 20% WVO. The answers obtained from questionnaires revealed some basic information for the installation of an WVO ideal collection system, in the opinion of the residents.Environmental Practice 13:1–12 (2011)