Waste Cooking Oil Collection in North Carolina

Jamie Ragan, DEAO Outreach Coordinator Keyes McGee, Engineer Presentation Outline

• Who is DEAO • FOG ≠ WCO • Waste Cooking Oil Collection Program • NC Case Studies • Mercury Recycling Program • ESI N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach • Community & Business Assistance Section: Solid waste reduction - promoting and developing recycling infrastructure in North Carolina • Environmental Assistance Center: free and confidential environmental assistance • Waste Reduction Partners: volunteer engineers and scientists helping organizations cut energy use, reduce waste, conserve water and save money

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Community & Business Assistance Section • Helping local governments, recycling businesses, citizens, and state agencies • Waste reduction, recycling, solid waste and materials management • Growing NC's recycling industries by providing technical, financial (grants) and business assistance • Take waste to commodity

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach FOG ≠ Waste Cooking Oil

• FOG (fats, oils, grease) → SSOs • Waste Cooking Oil = Used cooking/fryer oil, animal fats/grease = $ • FOG programs have worked to prevent SSOs – grease traps are being maintained • The food service sector been successful in collecting / selling WCO • End user demands driving up prices paid for WCO and grease • Next frontier: capture WCO from residential sector N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach NC’s SSO Improvement

North Carolina Yearly GREASE SSOs 700

596 600 577 574 555

493 500 464

390 400 377

320 SSOs 300

200

117 100

0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Grease Trap Waste Trend

NC Grease Trap Waste Pumped 50,000,000

45,000,000

40,000,000

35,000,000

30,000,000

25,000,000 Gallons

20,000,000 Gallons Pumped Per Year 15,000,000

10,000,000

5,000,000

0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Data Source: NC Division of Waste Management, Septage Management Program N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach A Better Destination for Grease Trap Waste

Dallas, North Carolina

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Waste Cooking Oil is a Commodity

• 2012: CA Co. reported losing 50,000 pds of raw grease/wk = $750,000/yr loss • 2013: NC passed law that stealing used cooking oil is illegal – Stealing used cooking oil = misdemeanor – If caught with over $1,000 worth of used oil = felony • ‘At thirty cents a gallon, that yellow crud is becoming the new “Texas Tea”.’ Biofuels Digest

Source: http://www.wbtv.com/story/15879752/200-gallons N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Waste Cooking Oil is a High Value Commodity • WCO generates revenue for NC counties/municipalities and food service providers • Counties report earning up to $1.50/gallon • Jobs generation • More WCO collected = less FOG = Cost reductions because of fewer SSO N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

Waste Cooking Oil Collection at Solid Waste Convenience Centers

• Convince more local solid waste programs to collect WCO • Containers located at staffed solid waste convenience centers for easy public access

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach WCO Collection Containers are Easily Sited – Convenient & Sanitary

Mount Airy Location

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Solid Waste Program Waste Cooking Oil Collection • Goal: all NC Solid Waste Programs Collection sites accept WCO • WCO collection companies provide free containers with service • Solid Waste Program is paid for collected oil • DEAO provides assistance

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach WCO Collection Program Often Serviced by Private Companies

http://www.valleyproteins.com/

http://www.blueridgebiofuels.com/

http://carolinabiofuels.org/

http://www.patriotbiodiesel.com/ N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Promote Local WCO Collection Programs Promote and Educate – Newspaper ads – Notices on local government website – Printed reminders in public communications (water bill) – Public service announcements – Press releases – Fliers, brochures, info cards at collection sites

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

Include WCO Collection Info with FOG Outreach Materials

Posters

Brochures

Inserts N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Unique WCO Collection Program

WCO from ECU campus donated for biodiesel production- used by Pitt Co Schools activity buses

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Partnership with NC Biofuels Center

http://www.biofuelscenter.org /

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach DEAO FOG Webpage

Web address: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/deao/recycling/fog – Market information for Waste Cooking Oil – Information setting up WCO Collection – Case studies – Documents, presentations, outreach material – Sample ordinances

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach NC Local Government Solid Waste and Recycling Programs Fiscal Year 2012: • 57 communities reported recycling WCO (38 in 2011) • Total of 37,617 gallons collected – 4 counties have 10 or more collection sites – 9 communities collected over 1000 gallons (5 collected more than 2000 gallons) • Wake – 5410 gal • Durham– 4074 gal • Gaston– 3300 gal N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

NC County Case Studies

Gaston County • Collects from public at 5 convenience centers daily in 55-gallon drums • Oil blended with WCO from other establishments to make biodiesel for buses • Gal WCO = about gal biodiesel • Potential $150K savings over 2 yrs • Approximately 2,000 gal/wk

of biodiesel produced Gaston County Schools technician, Keith Stone, amidst the containers of raw supplies and finished product in the bio-diesel mixing area. Source: http://www.ncbussafety.org/Archives/2006/archiveBioDiesel.html N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

NC County Case Studies

Town of Cary • Curbside collection of WCO and animal fats • Pick up at citizen request • FY 2011-12: collected 1647 gal • Serviced by Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, Bulk waste collection container: 250 gallon LLC tote placed on secondary spill control

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach NC County Case Studies

Transylvania County • Program began in 2009 • FY 2011-12: 340 gal of WCO • Blue Ridge Biofuels provides 300 gal locked container at supervised collection center • Does not receive payment for oil or pay Blue Ridge for pick up

Source of photos: www.cookingoilrecycling.org/ N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach NC County Case Studies

Wilson County • Began in 11-11 • Collects residential WCO at 13 recycling convenience centers • 125 gal plastic collection containers provided and serviced by Mahoney Environmental • Collected 100 gals during first 6 months • Greatest collection occurs at landfill collection center

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Useful DEAO Programs

Financial Assistance Program Recognition Program • Mercury Products • Environmental Recycling Grant Stewardship Initiative Program Program

http://www.theodoregray.com/periodictable/Elements/080/index.s 14.html N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Mercury Products Recycling Grant Program • Improper disposal of Hg-containing products can lead to problems for WWT plants especially if receiving landfill leachate • Grants available for local gov’t to assist in development, expansion and implementation of recycling programs for products containing mercury – Emphasis on increasing number of permanent collection sites for fluorescent lights and mercury thermostats

Contact: Joe Fitzpatrick at 919-707-8121 N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach Environmental Stewardship Initiative Program • Voluntary program recognizing, promoting, encouraging superior environmental performance • 3 participation levels • 5 public utilities in program – City of Shelby First Broad River WW Treatment Plant – Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County – City of Hendersonville Water Treatment Plant – City of Shelby Water Treatment Plant – City of Gastonia Public Works & Utilities – Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority City of Gastonia Water Treatment Plant Steward Ceremony 2009 N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach

DEAO Assistance

Contact us with questions • Keyes McGee – [email protected] – 919-707-8134 • Jamie Ragan – [email protected] – 919-707-8141

N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach