Seriously: what do you do with your leftover cooking oil? Most people just pour it down the drain (not pointing any fingers, here). This is quite bad for a couple of reasons: first because it can affect waste water treatment plants and second because a potential fuel is lost. We have written a lot about how used oils can be made into car fuel before; today we have three more examples about global initiatives to raise awareness about recycling used oil.

Let's go first to Murcia, Spain. It's a region where water is scarce and the prospects of using recycled water seems very attractive. But not when it's got lots of fat in it. Therefore, the concession in charge of waste management has delivered free funnels to all households in the city of Molina de Segura which people can use with empty soda bottles. Once full, the bottles can be brought at any local grocery shop or school to be recycled.

Further north, in Scotland, in Kilmarock County, there's a project to use recycled oil for local bus transportation. The company exchanges used oil for bus tickets. A grease container has been delivered for free to all houses the bus lines serve.

Finally, Brazil is going large and has announced a network of small local biodiesel plants which would use waste oil from local restaurants and households. This network will be backed up financially by the Brazilian Society for Science Progress (SBPC). Brazil announced this project not only as something that will allow the country to produce enough biodiesel for its B2 introduction plans, but also because it is a positive social effect (involving citizens in recycling and creating local jobs). The plan is expected to be implemented next April but an experimental plant is already working in Indaiatuba (São Paulo). Biodiesel obtained with this procedure costs 40 cents per liter, compared to 90 cents for "all-new" biodiesel.

[Source: Cadena Ser, Agroinformación, Econoticias]

Farmers in Washington State are experimenting with canola for biodiesel production as a new cash crop to supplement existing diary or vegetable crop income. Conditions in Snohomish County, which boasts cool temperatures, moist sea air and good soils, are proving to be so ideal for canola growing that yields are vastly outpacing European norms. Last year Snohomish County farmers averaged 158 gallons / 598 L of biodiesel per acre of planted canola compared to just 84 gallons / 318 L of biodiesel per acre in Europe.

Snohomish County, looking to power its 325 diesel vehicles and generators from B20 canola biodiesel, put up $30,000 last year to help fund the experiment and will contribute a further $125,000 over the next two years. Canola biodiesel is about 30-40 cents per gallon more expensive than soy biodiesel but rising fuel prices over the northern Summer could see this issue dissolve if diesel is more expensive than both.

Analysis: Washington state has a mandatory B2 policy in place and has already discussed increasing the blend to five percent in the future. Ideally the state would like to produce its entire biodiesel needs from locally grown feedstocks to bolster their local farming economy.

Related:

• Biodiesel startup Planetary Fuels set for lift off
• NEVs may get more speed in Washington State
• Canola biodiesel crops could damage seed crops in Washington state

[Source: Herald Net]

There were two minor laws relating to biodiesel use in Georgia in the Georgia General Assembly this year. The Southeast Farm Press reports that biodiesel was defined and that the state would move to biodiesel for its diesel vehicles.

Senate Bill 636 defines biodiesel as a blended fuel of biodiesel and petroleum diesel that conforms to the specifications of American Society for Testing and Materials Standard D 6751.

House Bill 1412, which has not yet passed, is an optimistic piece of work, declaring that shifting part of Georgia's use of 6.5 billion annual gallons of gasoline and diesel to biodiesel will generate $1 billion in increased economic activity and create up to 1,000 jobs (500 indirectly). The law requires that basically all government entities in the state that purchase diesel have to by at least B2 biodiesel (that's not a typo, they are only requiring two percent biodiesel) starting in 2008. Oh, and the biodiesel is not required if it costs more than regular diesel.

Why are we mentioning these laws here? First, because I currently live in Georgia and the legislature's session just ended. More importantly, it is little steps like this that will move us ever so slightly to a biofuel future. B2 is a baby step, sure, but baby steps are better than no steps at all.

[Source: Southeast Farm Press, the Georgia General Assembly]

Twincities.com has up an AP mini-story on city busses in St. Paul and Minneapolis that will soon be running on a little bit of biodiesel added to their diesel fuel. The busses will start using B5 this summer. Minnesota state law requires all diesel fuel sold in the state to be at least B2, so the Metro Transit should be applauded for exceeding the legal limit. While one government official says there has been no negative impact of the fuel on the busses engines, it does get awfully cold in Minnesota so it’s unlikely we’ll see the percentage of biodiesel, which gels in cold temperatures, used in the busses grow too high any time soon. [Source: TwinCities.com, Photo from AOL Hometown]