Kalan de Mantika:
The Utilization of Used Cooking
Oil as an Alternative Cooking Fuel
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Kalan de Mantika:
The Utilization of Used Cooking Oil as an Alternative Cooking Fuel
Filipinos' time-starved lifestyle has surged the demand for easily cooked foods such as fried foods and readily available quick-service products. In last year’s study by Philippine startup Packworks and sociocultural research firm Fourth Wall, fried food products topped Filipinos’ purchases. Considering its convenience, accessibility, and affordability, it has dominated Filipino favorites. This has driven the growth of consumption of cooking oil in the Philippine food and beverages sector such as the fast-food industry, manufacturing establishments, restaurants, hospitals, hotels, etc., and every Filipino kitchen. Consequently, this required all-inclusive commercial and domestic use of cooking oil thus resulting in the production of hundreds of tons of used cooking oil (UCO).
What is Used Cooking Oil (UCO) ?
Used cooking oil, which was classified as hazardous waste by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources is a product that results from the cooking of food in oils made from animal fats, synthetic liquids, and vegetable oils, including those from a variety of plant sources, such as soybean, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, rapeseed, sesame, corn, olive, palm, palm kernel, coconut, linseed, and soy. According to a survey done by the Hazardous Waste Management Section of the Environmental Management Bureau, 1,315,706.0 tons of waste oil were produced in the country in 2015. In the year 2021, the domestic consumption of cooking oil in the Philippines amounted to 1.19 million metric tons.
What makes it bad for us?
Improper usage and disposal procedures result in the presence of UCO in our drainage systems and rivers, adding to the nation's challenges in pollution devastating our community and nature, worsening the strain on both the economy and the environment. A study indicated that waste oil is responsible for 25% of water pollution. UCO disposal into sinks obstructs sewage and drainage systems, which leads to water pollution for household water systems that are directly connected to our natural waters.
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Reusing UCO is not only not advised, but also hazardous considering researches indicate that doing so more than twice puts your health at risk. An increasing number of studies are demonstrating how reheating oil produces hazardous components. It turns oil carcinogenic, increases free fatty acids that elevates bad cholesterol and increases the body's level of free radicals.
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What makes it good for us?
Despite its detrimental effects on our environment and health, UCO can still be useful. If utilized and handled properly, it can provide benefits for both the economy and the environment. Facing all these dilemmas all-encompassing our community and environment, the Kalan de Mantika's initiative is to promote the use of UCO as alternative fuel.