The organisations have drawn up a draft Quality Protocol for vegetable oil which sets out criteria for when it ceases to be a waste and becomes the product biodiesel.
Under the suggestions, biodiesel derived from waste vegetable oil would have to be produced via a “chemical process” and in line with approved standards in order to be used free of waste regulations for combustion in “automotive engines”.
The development of the vegetable oil protocol follows a court ruling in June when a judge overturned an Environment Agency ruling, which said that that the Clean Fuel Oil produced from waste oil by Merseyside-based OSS Group had to be classed as a waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
If the new protocol is passed, it is now expected to give a big boost to oil recycling in the UK by providing some clarity in this area.
Martin Brocklehurst, head of external programmes at the Environment Agency, said: “We have worked hard with the biodiesel industry to develop this proposal, a Quality Protocol for waste vegetable oil, which will save businesses the time and costs associated with meeting waste regulations.”
“In deregulating biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil, the product can better compete with biodiesel derived from virgin oil. This will also increase the volume of waste vegetable oil recovered from places like take-aways, restaurants, chip shops and food manufacturing sites. It should also reduce the amount disposed of to the sewer with all the benefits that will bring to the water industry,” he added.
Value
Waste vegetable oil has a high calorific value and although it may have come to the end of its useful life as a cooking product, the energy contained within is still present and can be used. The Environment Agency claims that by 2008/09, at least 2.5% of fuel consumed in the UK must be biofuel, rising to five per cent in 2010/11.
Mr Brocklehurst explained: “Despite approximately 100,000 tonnes of waste vegetable oil being collected from the catering and food industries each year, a considerable amount still goes uncollected and often ends up being poured down the drain. But a Quality Protocol should help stimulate the biodiesel industry to accept this resource by providing assurance that waste vegetable oil and virgin oil can produce biodiesel of virtually the same quality.”
Dr Richard Swannell, joint project executive at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), added: “The Waste Protocols Project shows a good example of the Environment Agency and WRAP easing regulation and creating new business opportunities.”
Waste food oil is one of 15 waste streams being investigated by the Environment Agency under its Waste Protocols Project.
At present, a Quality Protocol for compost has been published (see letsrecycle.com story), blast furnace slag has been reclassified as a non-waste and a revised regulatory position has been developed for waste wood.
Consultations on further protocols for tyre-derived rubber materials, non-packaging plastics, flat glass and pulverised fuel ash are expected over the next few months.
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