Nature-lovers often ask us: is cooking oil a renewable resource? Whether it be restaurants, hotels, or homes, we use cooking oil everywhere in a large quantity. This oil, when dumped into the drain, causes serious issues.
Scientists have discovered that reusing cooking oil not only helps the environment but also lowers the country’s economic costs.
Today we have compiled a guide on if cooking oil is a renewable source, the advantages of reusing it, and where you can reuse it, so make sure to stick around.
Table of Contents
What is a Renewable Resource?
Renewable resources are the ones that you can reuse again and again, and they won’t run out. This is because nature replaces them again. It includes solar power, wind power, and nuclear power.
On the other hand, nonrenewable resources will deplete because nature does not replace them. We only have reserves which we are using for hundreds of years. Examples of non-renewable fuels include crude oil, coal, and natural gas.
Why Do We Need to Use Renewable Resources?
With an increase in population, fossil fuel demand has tremendously increased. They are running out faster than expected, so people have started using renewable energy sources instead.
Renewable energy is also known as clean energy. This is because they produce no greenhouse gases. In turn, it reduces air pollution, global warming and protects us from UV radiation, keeping us healthy.
Additionally, using renewable resources will create jobs in the country and stabilize energy prices rising due to increased demand for fossil fuels.
Also, not every country has fossil fuel reserves. Hence they need to import it, which will be an extra strain on the country’s economy.
Introducing renewable energy will reduce the country’s dependency on imported fuels. It wouldn’t have been the case if the government used renewable resources.
Why Should We Not Throw Used Cooking Oil?
It is a usual practice among people to either throw cooking oil in garbage or drain. Cooking oil is derived from plants, animals, and synthetic fat. Throwing them in trash and drains can cause serious issues. Here is why you should never do this:
Cooking oils, when thrown used, have a nasty smell. It covers plants and animals and depletes them of oxygen, and in turn, they die. If thrown in the water, it floats on there, depriving marine life of oxygen, and they die. It also blocks the sewage system.
How to Make Biodiesel from Cooking Oil?
Below is a step-by-step guide to help recycle cooking oil to make biodiesel.
Firstly the companies collect used cooking oil from all homes, restaurants, and food processors. These cooking oils include vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or animal fat.
When unused, cooking oil contains free fatty acids, which break down when we expose it to high heat repeatedly. When used cooking oil reaches refineries, the free fatty acids are already broken down.
The refineries first restore free fatty acids in cooking oils to make them usable and then filter out the oil’s leftovers and contaminants.
The next step is transesterification. It makes cooking oil safe to use. Finally, the factories filter out glycerin. Now, biodiesel is ready to use. The cosmetic and pharmaceutical factories use the byproduct glycerin.
Advantages of Using Biodiesel
Using biodiesel has numerous economic and environmental benefits. It is less toxic than diesel, gasoline, coal, methanol, and ethanol. In turn, it won’t pollute air and water.
As it is a low-carbon fuel, more and more companies are looking forward to replacing fossil fuels with it. This will reduce the demand for fossil fuels and control global warming too.
Besides, people will stop dumping cooking oil into drains and garbage, which will reduce water and land pollution.
It is the least expensive fuel to use. Restaurants consider cooking oil as waste, thus, give it to refinery companies for free. The only cost is refining cooking oil and transporting it.
Additionally, if biofuel spills accidentally, it won’t cause any severe environmental hazards, unlike fossil fuel or engine oil spills.
Biodiesel has a high flashpoint. Flashpoint is the lowest temperature at which vapor catches fire. Higher flash points ensure that there is no accidental fire.
Cooking Oil: Renewable or Non-renewable resource?
Cooking oil is a renewable resource as it can be converted into biodiesel once used. Biodiesel is then used in cars and power stations to generate electricity. Make sure to donate the used cooking oils in your homes or restaurants for Earth’s better future.
FAQs – Is Cooking Oil a Renewable Resource?
Below are some frequently asked questions for all nature lovers out there. These will help you understand better about cooking oil and renewable resources.
Is Cooking Oil a Hazardous Waste?
Yes, it is. When drained in a sink or thrown in the garbage, it can end up polluting millions of gallons of fresh water and put marine life in danger. It can also contaminate soil, making it less fertile. Oils can build inside sewage pipes to clog it, causing sewage problems.
Can I Reuse Cooking Oil?
Yes, you can. Cooking oil is reusable as far as you use it correctly.
When choosing an oil, make sure to choose the oil with a high smoking point. This point means that this oil will only break down when you apply high heat. Low heat will not break it down, and you can use it again and again.
Use food thermometers to check the temperature while frying. The less the temperature, the better the oil condition, the more times you can reuse it.
Once done with frying, make sure to filter the impurities and food leftovers. Keep the oil for each food in a different container. If you are using cooking oil for frying chicken, don’t use it for doughnuts.
How to Correctly Dispose of Cooking Oil?
Cooking oil can cause several environmental damages if not disposed of accurately. As a responsible citizen, you must follow guidelines or follow the ways below to dispose of it.
Let the oil cool after flying. Chill it in a freezer until solid. Once solid, place it in a disposable container and throw it away in the garbage.
Besides, you can give it for recycling or combine it with the absorbent material which absorbs it all together, such as sawdust or sand. You can then throw sawdust or sand in waste.
Is Growing Cooking Oil Plants Harmful?
Yes, to some extent. The manufacture of cooking oils requires a lot of cutting down of trees across the globe. Doing so deprives the earth of oxygen, increases global warming, and destroys animals’ natural habitat.
Also, cooking oil planting requires large machinery that operates on fossil fuels and produces carbon monoxides and nitrogen oxides. In addition to this, the farmers spray the plants with pesticides which, when washed away in water, can cause serious hazards.
The advantage of using renewable resources is far greater than its disadvantages. With the rapid depletion of fossil fuels, it is necessary to switch to renewable resources. With efficient planning, we can reduce the harm caused by growing cooking oil plants too.
Which Cooking Oils Should I Avoid?
Palm, canola, soy, and corn oil. Every year, palm oil companies cut millions of trees to grow palm plants. Doing so has an adverse effect on the earth. If the demand decreases, palm oil companies will cut down lesser trees.
Farmers spray pesticides on canola, soy, and corn oil. It not only contaminates soil but when washed, these pesticides go into the water and harm marine life.
We recommend you to either use organic canola, soy, and corn oil or prefer sunflower, vegetable, or rapeseed oil. They are both healthy for us and the earth.
Final Words
Is cooking oil a renewable resource? Yes, it is. Fossil fuel resources are rapidly decreasing, and we need to plan an alternative to them. Renewable resources can replace fossil fuel use in every industry.
Renewable resources won’t run out as you can replace them again and again. Harnessing them can be challenging, but the advantages they provide are far more than the challenges faced while harnessing.
Additionally, global warming is rapidly increasing too. Reducing fossil fuels and switching to renewable resources can reduce pollution and global warming.
We cannot stop using cooking oil. It is a hazardous waste until we decide to renew it and use it efficiently. It can turn into biofuel, and we can use it in cars, factories, and power plants.
Step forward and take this initiative. Don’t waste or dump cooking oil anymore. You can help save fossil fuel reserves and avoid global warming.