Operations

Filta converts over 1B pounds of cooking oil into biodiesel fuel

Photo: Adobe Stock

September 25, 2024

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions has recycled 1 billion pounds of used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel by servicing commercial kitchens in restaurants, hospitals, hotels, universities, casinos, business facilities, entertainment venues and stadiums, said John Michals, Filta's chief operating officer.

"Since our early days, our mission has been clear: extend the life of cooking oil through microfiltration and professional fryer cleaning, which will ultimately contribute to a reduction in waste, lowering of food costs and boosting sustainability," he said in a company press release. "The 1-billion-pound milestone is a testament to the hard work of our franchise owners and their ultimate dedication to the Filta customers we service."

Properly prepared teams directly correlate to properly executed services.

"Whether we are filtering oil onsite, cleaning a deep fryer or removing waste oil when it's time to finally discard it, Filta believes that our franchise owners are the best in the business when it comes to
providing safe, efficient, clean and environmentally forward services," Michals said. "The environmental benefits of Filta's operations are massive. By reducing the need for new oil
and repurposing used oil into biodiesel, Filta helps lower the overall carbon footprint of its clients."

How it works

Filta's service model enhances commercial kitchen operations by micro-filtering cooking oil, deep cleaning fryers, and offering bin-free waste oil collection, all while ensuring the waste oil is recycled into biodiesel fuel. Each gallon of biodiesel used over the past two years prevented 16 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, resulting in a total carbon dioxide offset equivalent to planting 135 million trees.

The efforts have resulted in the following environmental savings:

• Land: 1,904,761 acres saved.
• Water: 1,344,670 gallons saved.
• Pesticides: 2,144,765 pounds reduced.
• Fertilizer: 80,000,000 pounds reduced.
• Diesel: 7,619,047 gallons saved.
• Gasoline: 2,400,000 gallons saved.
• Electricity: 12,609,523 kWh saved.
• Natural gas: 111,257,142 cubic feet saved.

The carbon offset efforts are equivalent to reducing 640 million pounds of carbon emissions from fuel, according to the release.

The packaging and transport savings include the reduction of over 34 million pounds of plastic and over 22 million pounds of cardboard. Additionally, by reducing the need for new oil and leading the way on repurposing used cooking oil into biodiesel, Filta helps drive the overall carbon footprint of its clients even lower. The company's efforts have reduced nearly 4 million pounds of greenhouse gasses and saved 57 million pounds in packaging materials.

"For every gallon of biodiesel we help to produce, we reduce our reliance on petroleum-based products," Michals said. "This is a critical step towards a more sustainable future, and while we've been doing this for over 20 years, we're really just getting started."