Not as green as I thought by Tony Green

Image of grease in a cooking pan

Any new position whose technology touches any part of your everyday life is sure to change your view on some things once insider industry knowledge has been obtained. 

Before I started working at a company who manufacturers equipment for the waste water treatment industry I never thought about where the cooking grease goes after I pour it down the drain. Now I know the fats, oils, and greases go into the waste water treatment system where these by-products cause massive problems once the material re-solidifies.

I usually pour my used grease down the drain after running hot water on the pan. Once down the drain the greasy substance was out of sight and, in my mind, no longer my concern.  The reality was  the leftover product of my cooking would become some else’s predicament. Frankly, I should have been aware that grease, and any other fatty oil, does not disappear once melted. From my studies in college I was well aware once cooled the oil would return to its gelatinous form.

Frequent readers of this blog know I am a strong supporter of alternative energy but in this instance I had fallen short of observing green living practices. In short, I was not as green as I thought.

Maybe I should reach out to my locality and ask them about recycling grease to use as biodiesel, in the same fashion plastics and organic materials are recycled.

Until then since the placing my used grease in the trash does not seem like a viable option, what should I do?

Image courtesy of fotalia.us