22 Jan 2019 (The Better India) - Ever wondered what happens to all the cooking oil the roadside eatery hawker uses to deep fry your snacks?

At most times, after being reused repetitively, it turns acidic and is disposed of, most probably, in a manner harmful for the environment.

But what if we told you this used cooking oil (UCO) from your local samosawala could be turned into eco-friendly fuel?

A government initiative is making that happen.

Christened RUCO which stands for Repurpose Used Cooking Oil, the project was launched by the FSSAI in August 2018, in association with the Biodiesel Association of India (BDAI).

This is an ecosystem that enables the collection and conversion of UCO to biodiesel.

This means that with a single move, India can now repurpose gallons of used cooking oil into biodiesel, cut down its fuel imports, reduce carbon emissions and also tackle health issues caused by reused cooking oil–all with just a few on-ground measures.

To facilitate this process of collection and conversion of UCO, FSSAI and BDAI have currently recognised 64 companies, 200 aggregators and some 26 plants in 101 locations.

The Better India got in touch with one such aggregator, Bengaluru-based ECO Green Fuels, to know how this move could spell hope for the country.

The FSSAI claims that India is one of the largest consumers of vegetable oil. It has the potential to convert almost 220 crore litre of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) to produce biodiesel by the year 2022.

ECO Green Fuels was established in 2007, by Julesh Bantia. He reveals how his startup recognised the potential of used cooking oil long before the government did.

Since 2011, the company has successfully converted five million litres of UCO into biodiesel and supplied it for industrial use within and outside Bengaluru. The company also played a role in providing its expertise to the government, culminating in the launch of RUCO.

Julesh highlights, “While the concept may seem easy on paper, the challenges of executing on the ground are many. The first of which is sensitising oil dischargers.”

According to recent FSSAI data, of the 225 lakh tons of vegetable oil that the country consumes, 40 per cent is consumed by restaurants/mega kitchens and the processed food industry. The 30 per cent that gets discarded as used cooking oil is sold at a cheaper rate, which is often bought by street vendors and small restaurants.

And so, it is crucial to educate oil dischargers like small restaurants, eateries, food chains and fryer companies (making fried and packaged snacks) about when they need to discharge oil.

According to the recent policy laid down by the FSSAI, this can be measured by the Total Polar Compounds in the oil. Once this goes beyond 25 per cent, the oil turns acidic and is considered unsafe for consumption.

Julesh informs, “For most small-time restaurants, this 25 per cent mark is reached by the time they start making the evening snacks in the reused oil; for commercial frying companies which make packaged snacks, the oil turns acidic at 18 per cent itself. If it is reused for making snacks after that, even the shelf-life of the product gets affected. This can pose a huge risk.”

He continues, “And while many of them follow the parameters of edible oil, several are not aware of the factors that make it inedible. So there is a definite need for sensitisation among those in the food business.”

Repetitively used cooking oil can cause a range of health issues from hypertension, cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, liver diseases to high levels of bad cholesterol.

In light of this, RUCO is a commendable move. When executed on a large scale, it not only removes inedible oil from the food chain but also breathes new life into it by transforming it into eco-friendly fuel.