Scottish Independent Media

By Claire Elliot
 

A SCOTTISH council is using old cooking oil from its school kitchens to run its fleet of vehicles.

Aberdeen City Council is thought to be the first local authority in Scotland to do so in the hope it will help cut carbon emissions and save money at the pumps.

The authority estimates that by converting the 5,000 litres of used vegetable oil it throws away each year into bio-diesel it will save at least £100,000 a year.

And Nigel Buchan, the council’s fleet manager, said tests have shown that the environmentally friendly fuel can help cut carbon emissions by up to 75% when used in certain vehicles.
 

He said by going down this route, the council was also saving as much as 10p a litre at the pumps.
 

The authority has now be shortlisted for a top recycling award in recognition of its efforts.
 

Mr Buchan, said: “It is vital that we as a city investigate every option to reduce the amount of waste we produce and set a clear example to our residents and local business as to how they can do things better for the environment.”
 

The authority has teamed up with Business Bio Fuels Ltd, owners of the first 100% bio-diesel filling station in north-east Scotland, to make it possible.
 

The firm collects the oil from school kitchens, care homes and catering facilities in the city.

 
As a result of the council’s new healthy eating policy for youngsters there was not enough used oil in school kitchens, so they had to arrange collections from other council-run establishments to make up the quantity.

The oil is then recycled and turned into bio-diesel instead of being sent to landfill.
 

It costs the council 5p a litre less to have the oil collected for recycling than for waste disposal.
 

And the price of buying the oil back as bio-diesel is 10p a litre less than at filling stations in the area, amounting to a total saving of 15p per litre for the council.
 

Mr Buchan said the council vans needed a fuel filter change twice during the initial change in fuel, which was seen as a “minor issue”.
 

The vehicles still within their three-year warranty, however, were not able to be run on the alternative fuels so only older vehicles are being used.

Mr Buchan said: “We started looking at the idea in 2008 and in April we started the trials.
 

“We found there were no draw-backs [in performance] and the mileage remained the same.
 

“But the big saving is in emissions and the cost.
 

“It lowered the emissions by 50% to 75% on various vehicles."
 

He added: “It won’t replace the use of diesel altogether but it is a good way of recycling old vegetable oil from schools and restaurants rather than putting it to landfill.”
 

A handful of vans within the roads and recycling departments are currently being run on the bio-fuel.

But the aim is to have at least 25 vehicles running on it by the end of this year, when they reach the end of their warranty period.
 

The council will find out on October 27 if it has won the title for Best Partnership Project for Recycling in the this year’s National Recycling Awards.