Grease to Oil

Today San Francisco launches SFGreasecycle:

a free program in which the city will pick up used cooking oil and grease from local restaurants, hotels and other commercial food preparation establishments. Those substances then will be turned into biodiesel, a fuel made of plant oil that burns cleaner than petroleum-based fuels.

The PUC is sponsoring the program because grease that is illegally dumped into sewers, which are maintained by the agency, creates serious maintenance problems. The grease congeals and clogs sewer pipes, costing the city an extra $3.5 million a year to clean the gunk out, according to PUC estimates.

Once again, San Francisco is leading the way for cities looking for ways to reduce its carbon footprint, reuse material that would otherwise go in landfills, and create a new source of energy.

Reduce, reuse and recycle, indeed.