Used Oil Recycling Service — From Fryer to Renewable Fuel

The carbon math is well-established through lifecycle analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and validated by the EPA under the Renewable Fuel Standard program. One gallon of used cooking oil, when converted to biodiesel, displaces approximately one gallon of petroleum diesel and avoids roughly 18 pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions. This figure accounts for the full lifecycle — collection, transport, processing, and combustion — and reflects the 74 percent greenhouse gas reduction that NREL documented in its biodiesel lifecycle analysis available at docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy03osti/31460.pdf. For a restaurant producing 50 gallons of used oil per week, that translates to approximately 24 metric tons of CO2 avoided annually. We calculate your specific offset in every quarterly impact report using your actual metered collection volumes, not industry estimates.

Yes. Our quarterly impact reports are specifically designed for inclusion in corporate sustainability disclosures. Each report includes total gallons collected (metered, not estimated), equivalent metric tons of CO2 avoided, petroleum diesel gallons displaced, confirmation of licensed recycling facility destination, and chain of custody summary. The data format aligns with CDP Climate Change questionnaire requirements, Global Reporting Initiative waste and emissions standards, and Scope 3 Category 5 (Waste Generated in Operations) methodology. For multi-location operations, we provide both facility-level and portfolio-level aggregation so your sustainability team can report at whatever granularity your disclosure framework requires. Several of our corporate dining clients include our impact data directly in their parent company annual sustainability statements and investor presentations.

The EPA Renewable Fuel Standard program maintains a list of approved feedstock-to-fuel pathways at epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard/approved-pathways-renewable-fuel. Used cooking oil qualifies as a feedstock for both biodiesel (D4 RIN category) and renewable diesel (D4 RIN category) because its lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions meet the 50 percent reduction threshold required for biomass-based diesel. The oil must be collected from commercial food preparation operations, transported by licensed haulers, and processed at registered facilities that meet EPA quality and documentation standards. The resulting fuel generates Renewable Identification Numbers that verify the environmental benefit and track each gallon through the supply chain. Our collection and documentation systems are specifically designed to maintain the chain of custody that EPA-registered producers require when sourcing used cooking oil feedstock.

Verification happens at multiple points in the chain of custody. First, every pickup generates a digital manifest with the exact volume, date, driver credentials, and the specific licensed rendering facility designated as the destination. Second, our GPS tracking system logs the vehicle route from your location to the delivery point, creating a geographic record that matches the manifest. Third, the rendering facility issues a receiving ticket when the load arrives, confirming the volume delivered. Fourth, the rendering facility holds a current CDFA license that requires them to maintain processing records subject to state inspection. All of this documentation is accessible through your compliance dashboard. If you ever want to independently verify our rendering facility license status, the CDFA maintains a public registry at cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/MPES/Rendering/RenderingFAQ.html where you can confirm licensing and compliance status.

Proper cooking oil recycling contributes to both frameworks. For LEED certification, documented waste diversion supports credits under the Materials and Resources category, specifically MR Credit: Solid Waste Management. Our recycling verification showing 100 percent diversion from landfill provides the documentation LEED assessors require. For the Green Restaurant Association certification framework, cooking oil recycling falls under the Waste category and contributes points toward your overall GRA score. Our chain of custody documentation, metered volume records, and destination verification provide the specific evidence that GRA auditors evaluate during the certification process. We also provide documentation compatible with Green Seal, Green Key, and the National Restaurant Association Conserve sustainability program. Your account manager can help format the data for whichever certification framework your operation is pursuing.

Both fuels are produced from used cooking oil but through different processes with different end products. Biodiesel is made through transesterification — a chemical process that reacts the oil with methanol to produce fatty acid methyl esters. It is typically blended with petroleum diesel at concentrations of 5 to 20 percent (B5 to B20) and requires engine compatibility consideration at higher blends. Renewable diesel, also called hydrotreated vegetable oil, is produced through hydroprocessing — using hydrogen to remove oxygen from the oil molecules, creating a fuel that is chemically identical to petroleum diesel. Renewable diesel can be used as a 100 percent drop-in replacement in any diesel engine without modification or blending. Both fuels qualify under the EPA Renewable Fuel Standard program at epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program and generate Renewable Identification Numbers. The lifecycle carbon reduction is comparable for both pathways, and your used cooking oil can become either fuel depending on which producer purchases the feedstock from the rendering facility.