Himachal Pradesh: Leftover cooking oil to be used to produce biodiesel

Purushottam Singh, the District Controller of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, chaired a meeting on Wednesday to tackle the issue of repeatedly using leftover cooking oil after frying and its collection for biodiesel production. The aim was to discourage the harmful reuse of cooking oil and encourage its conversion into biodiesel rather than improper disposal, reported The Tribune.

Attendees included Food Safety Officer Deepak Raj Anand, food inspectors, trade union president Virendra Mahajan, secretary Swapna Mahajan, and other members. The District Controller announced plans for special arrangements in Chamba to collect used cooking oil from hotels, roadside eateries (dhabas), and other commercial establishments for biodiesel conversion.

Singh cautioned that reusing cooking oil for frying is unhealthy and should be limited, advising that it should not be used more than three times. Exceeding this limit can lead to serious health issues.

He called on trade union representatives to help ensure that hotels, dhabas, and other commercial outlets avoid the repeated use of the same oil. Singh suggested that leftover oil should be stored in containers for resale instead of being improperly discarded, allowing establishments to generate extra income.

A company named Surya Enviro, which produces biodiesel and glycerol in Baddi, has been chosen to collect the used oil. They will gather oil from hotels and dhabas and convert it into biodiesel, with collections planned once or twice a week or month from commercial outlets in the district. The company has agreed to purchase the used oil at a rate of Rs 30 per litre.