Published: Friday, 5th February, 2010 12:00pm
Old oil can be electric
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USED cooking oil can now be taken to two recycling centres to be converted into electricity.
Collection tanks have been installed at the waste recycling centres at Longshot Lane in Bracknell and Smallmead off the A33 in Reading.
The oil tanks have been put in by Living Fuels, part of the British group Renewable Energy Generation. Operations director Rob Murphy said: "Just one litre - that's about a third of what you'd find in your average chip pan - of used cooking oil can be converted into a new green fuel called LF100 and produce enough clean electricity to make 240 cups of tea.
"The use of used cooking oil in electricity generation reduces carbon emissions meaning everyone can play a part in building Britain's renewable energy capacity."
Rob Stanton, chairman of re3, the partnership between Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Councils and the Waste Recycling Group that runs the recycling sites, said: "Cooking oil can be a real problem when poured away into the drainage system. I'm delighted that re3 has come up trumps with an efficient and innovative system to deal with this problem and I encourage residents to use it."
Re3 hopes that the new facilities will stop residents illegally tipping oil down the drains, causing smells and blockages and attracting pests.
Other items that can be recycled at the sites include shoes, textiles, electronic goods, paint, used engine oil, scrap metal, plasterboard, wood, car batteries, soil, hardcore, rubble, garden waste, books, cartons, foil, glass, light bulbs, mobile phones, printer cartridges and Britta water filters.
The centres are open from 8am-6pm daily from October 1 to March 31 then 8am-8pm daily from April 1 to September 30.
