How is Used Cooking Oil (UVA) Recycled into Biodiesel?

Here at Central Waste Liverpool we buy waste cooking oil from hotels, restaurants and takeaways across Merseyside and recycle it into biodiesel.

A licensed waste cooking oil (WCO) collector will make sure all your used cooking oil is refined into biodiesel – a green fuel helping to reduce lower greenhouse gas emissions for diesel vehicles on the roads.

Your oil goes through several processes before it can become biodiesel – from grading, cleaning and filtering to the chemical reaction of transesterification. Transesterification of vegetable oils, animal fats or waste cooking oils is the process behind recycling oils into conventional biodiesel.

The Cooking Oil to Biodiesel Recycling Process

Once our driver has collected the used vegetable oil (UVO) or animal fats from your commercial kitchen, the oil is taken to a used cooking oil recycling centre.

Firstly the oil is cleaned and filtered as part of the pre-preparation for biofuel refineries. The UVO or used animal oil is assessed and graded for quality, focusing on the colour and clarity of the oil, which will indicate how long it will take in the recycling process. Central Waste Liverpool pay top prices for high quality used cooking oils.

The oil is cleaned and sieved to remove food and other solid waste, this usually happens in a large tank. Inside the tank the oil is heated which helps to separate out the smaller debris and impurities which settle at the bottom of the tank, these can also then be removed from the oil. Once it has been cleaned and filtered in the tank the oil is distributed into a larger filtering system, until it meets the specifications required by the biofuel refineries.

The oil is now almost ready to be fully converted into biodiesel. A dedicated biodiesel refinery will finish the process. Here the transesterification process is carried out and the oil is converted into biodiesel.

Waste oil should always be collected by a registered and licensed carrier like Central Waste, a reputable company who will recycle or dispose of your oil in the correct manner. By disposing of your oil this way you be complying with regulations, you will also contribute to a greener environment and generate some income for your business in the process.