Fuel your car with french fries

by michelle.sundvick | June 23, 2008 at 11:18 am | 541 views | 9 comments

As we've seen gas prices soar over the past couple of months, people are willing to do anything to cut fuel costs. A band of biofuel enthusiasts in the states have taken to robbing restaurants of their used french-fry grease in order to produce their own fuel at a low cost. Although this may be cheaper for small-level production, producing the biodiesel in mass amounts has always been considered quite costly in the past (about $1 a litre to produce). For this reason Canadians have been unable to buy biodiesel at the pump for some time.

However, with fuel prices on the rise, biodiesel is now comparable to other fuel, resting around $1.45 per litre. As there is now little difference in price, and biodiesel is more eco-friendly, gas stations across Canada are eager to offer this choice to their consumers. A station in the Lower Mainland became the first to offer the new biofuel over the weekend.

Cars fuelled with french-fry grease are growing increasingly common thanks to a Vancouver co-op offering biodiesel at its pumps.

Over the weekend Recycling Alternatives became first in the Lower Mainland to sell B100, an unblended fuel made entirely of biological waste such as tallow and yellow grease, to its diesel-engine driving members.

Aside from kicking down carbon footprints, said biodiesel manager Jean-Michel Toriel, the benefits can be felt most in the pocketbook because B100 is exempt from the B.C. gas tax set to take effect July 1.

Members of the co-op sign an agreement and pay $25 up front to access the self-serve system.

Users are billed for the amount of biodiesel consumed with prices hovering around $1.45 per litre.

"As we put more biodiesel on line I think the cost will start to diminish," Toriel said.

Still, Toriel said fast foods fats aren't the answer to increasing energy needs.

"This is more of a transition ... to electric cars," he said. "We're filling a void because the big oil companies are asleep at the wheel on this one."

Here's a link to a story I posted last month on the rising battle for french-fry grease:

http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/battling-over-french-fry-grease

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julianw

at 11:42 on June 23rd, 2008

good stuff:

Great idea.

Jarrett Martineau

at 11:43 on June 23rd, 2008

good stuff:

michelle.sundvick, I like this story. It's good stuff.

rpshen

at 12:12 on June 23rd, 2008

good stuff:

michelle.sundvick, I like this story. It's good stuff. Neat!

mtippett

at 13:44 on June 23rd, 2008

go go greasoline.

maceelaine

at 14:09 on June 23rd, 2008

These are truffled fries, which would make your car smell delicious AND expensive. Yum.

maceelaine has contributed a photo to this story.

JeffHuang

at 15:08 on June 23rd, 2008

good stuff:

michelle.sundvick, I like this story. It's good stuff. reminds me of the simpsons where bart and homer was stealing grease(oil) from the school. ANYWAYS. interesting story

RCAGUIAT

at 15:59 on June 23rd, 2008

michelle.suncvick, this is really a great idea.

jayr_patron

at 18:21 on June 23rd, 2008

good stuff:

I don't think it's just french fry grease....used cooking oil (vegetable) is a good substitute for diesel at no (in some cases) cost to the consumer. Anyhoo, good stuff!