Disposal problem is a profit center

Perhaps the National Restaraunt Association's “Conserve” environmental initiative would be wise to have a "roadmap" on how to convert used cooking oil to biodiesel? The fuel can be marketed to

• municipal and county departments (fire, ambulance, transit, street/highway) and
• organizations that use diesel fuel in boiler operation as a means to reduce their petro-diesel costs.

Biodiesel

• is also less toxic than salt
• biodegrades as fast as sugar and
• releases far fewer pollutants when burned compared to petro-diesel.

Liquid used cooking oil is filtered, tested for FFA and water content, then put in a processor for conversion. A processor can produce as few as 30 gallons (in a large closet) or as much as 275 gallons (in a backroom) of the fuel.

In a mall a central facility could occupy several thousand square feet off in a remote corner of a parking lot.

Ted Turner and others at a National Restaurant Association conference on going green mentioned "environmental stewardship and local sustainability" and '“the plus one' attitude emphasizes using local/regional sources." Producing biodiesel for city and county vehicles through "restaurants going green would have an even bigger impact."

PR would be fantastic and used cooking oil disposal costs would be replaced by profits from long-term contracts for biodiesel purchases.

Why throw away a fuel source at a time when "product-innovation and profitability have become even more important staples of successful restaurants."?