23/05/2024 (The Star) - Since 2017, residents of SS14 in Subang Jaya, Selangor, have had a way to properly dispose of their used cooking oil. Instead of clogging drains with the oil, they can discard it into a collection drum at a nearby park, and get rewarded for it.

In 2021, an app was launched to enable customers to schedule used cooking oil collections via their mobile phones. The company behind these innovations is Arus Oil (My Protech Sdn Bhd), which has collected 250 metric tonnes of old cooking oil from around Klang Valley since the start of its pilot project in Subang Jaya.

“We visit homes to purchase used cooking oil, paying customers directly through the app,” said Arus Oil co-founder and chief marketing officer Dr Chatichai Chong. The used oil is purchased at RM3 per kg. Now, Arus Oil has a drop-off centre to collect used cooking oil from individuals and businesses.

Chong, 36, heralded this initiative as a major leap in environmental stewardship. “Many households lack awareness of how to properly manage used cooking oil. “This leads to health hazards from reusing the oil or environmental harm when it is poured down drains.

“This drop-off centre offers people a convenient and eco-friendly way to dispose of used cooking oil. “Our new facility aims to educate and facilitate proper recycling, bridging this gap and promoting sustainable practices,” he added.

Located on Jalan Industri USJ 1/4 in Taman Perindustrian USJ 1, Subang Jaya, the drop-off centre operates from 10am to 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays. “We accept vegetable-based oil. However, it must never be mixed with any fossil fuel,” said Chong.

He said the used cooking oil would undergo filtration to remove sediments, moisture and impurities. The oil is then lab-tested before being sent for conversion into bio-diesel. During the drop-off centre’s launch, visitors were taught how to make candles from processed used cooking oil, led by Lit & Lull candle shop owner Amy Ng.

“We source processed used cooking oil from Arus Oil for candle-making. “This transforms discarded resources into something beautiful and purposeful,” the 32-year-old Ng said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2024/05/23/new-drop-off-point-for-cooking-oil