NORTH CAROLINA — A North Carolina company is encouraging people to put recycling on their holiday to-do list after they finish Thanksgiving dinner.
What You Need To Know
- Greasecycle is a North Carolina company that helps give used cooking oil a new life
- Greasecycle sells the used oil to the biodiesel industry
- You can recycle your oil by checking for collection bins at communal trash sites or by asking your favorite restaurant if you can put it in their container
Greasecycle collects used cooking oil and grease from restaurants across North Carolina. The materials are then brought to a plant to be processed.
Partner and vice president of plant operations Justin Grich said the solids are composted, the water goes back down the sewer and the oil is sold into the biodiesel industry.
“It’s a legitimate waste that we’re taking and making into a valuable fuel product,” Grich said.
Route driver Anthony Mair's daily routine involves pumping out restaurant grease traps and oil containers. It might be messy, but he's glad he can play a part in that recycle chain.
"It's an awesome industry. [You] get to use it to do a lot of stuff like biodiesel, lubricants, stuff like those," Mair said. "It will keep the environment clean. I love what I do."
Grich said you don’t need to own a local restaurant to make an impact on the environment.
‘Tis the season of deep-frying turkeys for holiday dinners, and he has a suggestion to help give back to the environment rather than tossing that oil in a standard garbage can.
“I would contact your local favorite restaurant and ask if you could bring your oil and put it into their container. You would literally be giving them a donation,” Grich said.
He also recommends checking for oil collection containers at communal trash sites in your area.
