The used vegetable oil has great value as a raw material for the production of second-generation biofuels, offering a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
In fact, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2019), only 4.7% of the total national energy supply corresponds to biofuels, being the largest source of renewable energy.
Of these biofuels, 2% comes from vegetable oils, 0.6% from vegetable alcohols, and approximately the same amount from firewood and bagasse. This means that biodiesel from vegetable oils is a key source of renewable energy for our country.
A study conducted by the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires (FAUBA) and the company DH-SH estimated that Argentine households generate 2.5 liters of used vegetable oil per person per year, and only 22% separates it at the source for subsequent reuse.
The research highlights that most of this production is discarded in pipes, leading to the pollution of natural resources such as soil and water. However, public willingness is high, and awareness is increasing, as long as there are necessary tools to facilitate separation.
According to figures provided by the Chamber of the Oil Industry in 2022, the provinces leading vegetable oil production are: Santa Fe (7,178,777 tons), Buenos Aires (954,982 tons), Córdoba (795,739 tons), and Entre Ríos (52,364 tons).
DH-SH, based in the city of Capitán Bermúdez, Santa Fe, identified the need to provide a service for small and large generators of frying oil. Thus, in 2017, they launched the campaign “Recycle Your Oil,” which, from the beginning, accumulated 33,542 tons of this waste from 15 provinces in the country, which otherwise would have ended up in the soil or water.
**How much do Argentines recycle**
After enjoying some French fries, fritters, or breaded meats, many people at home do not know what to do with the oil residue. In this regard, a study revealed that the Argentine population generates 124 million liters of this residue per year, and less than half recycles it.
On the other hand, there is a visible improvement in management, whether due to obligation or voluntary decision, by gastronomic establishments that produce 62 million liters per year and dispose of 80%.
An encouraging sign is the growing motivation of citizens to properly manage this waste to reduce its environmental impacts. To respond to this potential willingness, DH-SH has already installed over 400 green points distributed in 11 provinces of the country and has signed more than 120 agreements with municipalities.
Although used vegetable oil is not a hazardous waste by definition, its disposal in household or commercial drains means it ends up in water bodies. Its presence creates a film on the surface that alters the natural properties of the water and affects the ecosystem by reducing the oxygen availability for other organisms, causing severe damage with irreparable consequences.
At the domestic level, when oil enters household drains, it can clog pipes and increase the presence of bacteria and bad odors.
*”Environmental care is essential for the long-term sustainability of our operations and the well-being of the communities in which we operate. Through the ‘Recycle Your Oil’ program, since we started the campaign eight years ago, we have prevented the pollution of 36,480,904.347 m³ of water, equivalent to filling 14,500 Olympic pools,”* stated Antonella Druetta, Environment Manager at DH-SH, based on the figures collected in the company’s Second Sustainability Report.
**The solution lies in recycling**
The conditioning of used vegetable oil involves a process of filtering, decanting, and is subjected to physical-chemical parameter control before being dispatched for national and international distribution. This cycle allows the commercialization of this recovered input for the production of second-generation biofuels.
Simultaneously, the recovered fat material undergoes a similar process of reception, storage, decantation, and purging of wastewater before being dispatched as a conditioned raw material.
The company emphasizes that this final product is used in the production of oleins and other industrial processes. The company’s operations revalue materials, promoting the circular economy by giving a second chance to used vegetable oil and non-hazardous waste from the oil industry.
The lack of recycling systems and adequate information reaching the public hinders the effective management of this waste, although there is a great willingness to improve the situation.
For this, the small generator must wait for the oil to cool and then place it in any plastic container with a lid. It can be a water bottle, soda bottle, or empty oil bottle, which once full should be taken to the nearest green point and deposited. These locations can be checked at the following link: [green points in Argentina](https://dhsh.com.ar/recicla-tu-aceite/puntos-verdes/).
**Environmental education for the future**
*”Raising awareness to reverse these figures is key, which is why we created a free virtual environmental education program with downloadable materials for classroom work that has already reached over 4,000 students nationwide,”* said Antonella Druetta. The talks are adapted to the different levels of school education and include an animated short film and an activity guide to continue working on the topic.
To date, 59.8% of the talks were held for secondary level, 34% for primary level, and 4% for tertiary level institutions: 28.3% of the schools were in Santa Fe, 24.2% in Córdoba, 15.2% in Entre Ríos, 9.1% in Buenos Aires, 6.1% in Mendoza, while 16% of the remaining talks were distributed in other regions.
**For more information and registration, please write to: [email protected].**
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