Waste Vegetable Oils Management Rev.0
WASTEMANTECH
Waste Management Technologies
Education Module
WASTE VEGETABLE OIL MANAGEMENT
EKOVAR Waste Management
September 2015
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the author, and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Contents
1. INTRODUCTION 3
2. VEGETABLE OILS 5
2.1 Definition of vegetable oil 5
2.2 Vegetable oils produced and consumed in Turkey 5
3. WASTE VEGETABLE OILS 6
3.1 Definition of waste vegetable oil 6
3.2 Waste Vegetable Oil Sources 7
3.2.2 Tank Bottom Sludge 7
3.2.3 Fat Soil 8
3.2.4 Oils Obtained From Oil Retainers 8
3.2.5 Used Cooking Oil (UCO) 8
3.3 Environmental Impact of Waste Vegetable Oils 9
3.4 Collection of Used Cooking Oils 11
4. USED VEGETABLE OILS RECYCLING and AREAS OF UTILIZATION 12
4.1 Biodiesel 12
4.1.1 Biodiesel standards in Turkey 13
4.1.2 Resources for Biodiesel Production 14
4.1.3 Environmental Advantages of Biodiesel 14
4.1.4 Technical specifications for facilities producing biodiesel from waste vegetable oils. 15
4.2 Biogas 15
4.3 Acid Oil 16
4.4 Soap 16
5. LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN EU 18
6. MANAGEMENT OF WASTE VEGETABLE OIL IN TURKEY 21
6.1 Regulation on Control of Waste Vegetable Oil 21
6.2 Roles and Liabilities of parties 21
6.3 Waste Code according to European Waste Catalogue 22
7. SUCCESS STORIES 23
8. RAISING AWARENESS FOR THE PEOPLE 24
SOURCES 26
1. INTRODUCTION
Vegetable oils, which are oils extracted from plants have been used since ancient times and in many cultures. Apart from its widely use of cooking purposes, they are indispensable for our industry.
The demand for vegetable oils has increased rapidly in the past decades, reaching up to 150 million metric tons. The main driver for expansion has been the demand for edible oils for the food market, although the biodiesel sector represents an increasing part in the growth.
Of the 350,000 tons of waste vegetable oil that Turkey produces each year, just 10 percent is collected for recycling. When it comes to biodiesel production capacity, Turkey has a higher potential. Currently, most of its uses are in agricultural feedstock, but biodiesel production from waste oil is more environmentally friendly. When using waste oil, moreover, 65 to 80 percent of the liquid can be turned into biodiesel, which results in 50 percent less CO2 emissions than regular petroleum.
Collecting waste oil from the food sector in Turkey, began in 2005 when the regulations were issued. According to a regulation put into effect by the Ministry of Environment and City Planning in 2005, illegal dumping of waste is prohibited and licensed collecting companies have been put in charge of collecting these waste oils by the ministry.
Home waste oils must be collected in individual containers and delivered to waste oil collection companies licensed by local municipalities. However, there is no control over the waste oils produced in homes. On the other hand, institutions have to contract licensed waste oil collection companies and deliver their wastes to these companies.
Keeping waste oil from being dumped down the drain has a range of benefits. Oils congeal on the insides of sewer pipes, causing blockages and reducing pipe flow capacity, which leads to extra municipal infrastructure expenses.
When it reaches open water, oil spreads thinly over the surface and prevents oxygenation, suffocating many types of marine life. The situation allows some creatures, like jellyfish, to flourish and undergo population booms that make it even more difficult for marine ecosystems to stay diverse. Just one liter of waste oil is enough to pollute 1 million liters of water. Domestic waste is responsible for 25 percent of water pollution in Turkey.
Biodiesel produced from used cooking oils (UCO) is also avoiding possible impacts of biofuels production on agricultural food products (helping to fulfill the sustainability criteria for biofuels set in the Renewable Energy Directive) and preventing UCO deposition in landfills. Moreover, it has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions amongst biofuels, enabling larger emission savings in comparison with petroleum derivate fuels. Thus, the recycling of UCO can contribute to achieve the target set forward by the EU to reduce its CO2emissions by 20% by 2020.
2. VEGETABLE OILS
2.1 Definition of vegetable oil
Vegetable oils are oils extracted from vegetables. These vegetable oils maybe edible (for cooking) or inedible (for industrial use). Examples of vegetable oils used in cooking are canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, etc.
Edible vegetable oils are used in food, both incookingand assupplements. Vegetable oilsused incookinghave ahigherboiling point thanwaterwhichboilsat100°C.Cooking foodat a higher temperatureisquickerand producesdifferentflavours.
Many oils, edible and otherwise, are burned as fuel, such as inoil lampsand as a substitute forpetroleum-based fuels. Some of the many other uses includewood finishing,oil painting, andskin care.
2.2 Vegetable oils produced and consumed in Turkey
In its liquid and solid form, vegetable oils are used in food industry and also in bait, soap, dyeing and oleo chemical industries. Besides, they are used in the biodiesel, biogas and energy production.
Turkey is not a self sufficient country to meet its needs in regard of oil seeds. Oil is the secont import item following the petroleum. Total 500 thousand tonnes of domestic oil are produced as 280 thousand tonnes from sunflower seed, 199 thousand tonnes from cottonseed oil, and remainder from corn oil and canola oil. Approximatly 1.2 million tones of shortfall are supplied by importing oil.
Turkey’s total vegetable oil consumption is 1.7 million tonnes to supply the needs of about 950 thousand tonnes liquid, 550 thousand tonnes margarine, and 200 thousand tonnes for bait, dyeing and soap industry. Therefore, vegetable oil consumption per capita is 21 kg.
3. WASTE VEGETABLE OILS
3.1 Definition of waste vegetable oil
According to Control of Waste Vegetable Oils Regulation, soap-stock, tank bottom sludge and fat soils emanating from refinement of raw vegetable oil, used cooking oils, oils kept on oil retainers at various facilities and expired vegetable oils are defined as waste vegetable oil.
In Turkey, approximately 1.7 million tons of vegetable oil for the purpose of food consumed each year. As a result of oil refinement process and consumption of edible oils, approximately 350 thousand tonnes of waste vegetable oil generation is estimated.
3.2 Waste Vegetable Oil Sources
3.2.1 Soap-stock
Soapstock emerges from the edible oil refining process when oil is treated with a dilute alkali solution separating the FFAs as soaps. This wet lipid mixture is separated from the crude oil by centrifugation. It is generated at a rate of about 6% of the input of oil entering the refining operation and its cost represents 1/10 of the refined oil cost
Soapstock is quite alkaline, with pH values between 10-11. This residual is also referred to as residual oleins and has poor commercial value, but can be used as an ingredient in animal feed. It is a mixture of triglycerides of fatty acids and of the same free fatty acids.
3.2.2 Tank Bottom Sludge
Subsiding and oil containing residues in the raw vegetable oil reservoirs of oil refinement plants are called as tank bottom sludge. These sludges are treated as waste vegetable oil and collected by licenced waste vegetable oil collectors and treated in licenced recycling facilities. In theses facilities, vegetable oil is seperated fruom sludges and used as raw material for soap production industry.
3.2.3 Fat Soil
Soils emerging from refinement of the edible oils are called as fat soil. In the facilities producing edible vegetable oil, raw oil is heated up to 80-90 °C, then mixed with phosporic acid at the rate 0.1% and 0.25% bleaching soil is added to mixture and pressed on filters. As a result of this process, soil containing some fat arises. Therefore this soil has to be treated in the category of waste vegetable oil.
3.2.4 Oils Obtained From Oil Retainers
Oil retainers are units designed to seperate oil from water with physical means. These retainers are used to protect sewer system from oils poured down the kitchen sinks. For its physical property, densiety of oil is lower than water and in these units oil is cumulated on surface. Oils collected from this process shall be treated in licenced recycling facilities.
3.2.5 Used Cooking Oil (UCO)
Commonly called 'UCO' or 'WCO' (waste cooking oil), these are wastes as they are no longer fit for purpose. Most of the oil used for cooking is of the vegetable variety (e.g. canola oil, soy oil and other vegetable oils). Generally used by restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens to cook food for human consumption.
Frying can be simply defines as cookingof food inhot oilor anotherfat. Edible oils can reach much highertemperaturesthan water at normalatmospheric pressure and the food is cooked much more quickly. Depending on the food, the oil will penetrate it to varying degrees, contributing richness, lubricity, and its own flavor, as well as calories.
For domestic use, cooking oils shall be used no more than twice and changed with a refresh one. Also if used once, cooking oil must not be used after a long duration sice polymerization continues.
3.3 Environmental Impact of Waste Vegetable Oils
Oil is one of the most commonly reported types of water pollution, causing nearly a quarter of all pollution incidents. Careless disposal of oil into drainage systems, onto land or to watercourses is an offence. It can harm river birds, fish and other wildlife. Although oil breaks down in water, the process uses up vast amounts of oxygen that would have remained in the waterways for wildlife.
The improper disposal of used cooking oil includes disposing them down the sink and drain, onto the ground, and into the garbage. Liquefied fat, oil, or grease that is poured down the kitchen sink drain can cause serious impacts. Oil can cling to the insides of pipes and the sewer system. Over time, it can build up and can eventually block pipes completely. If wastewater can’t move freely through pipes and out into the sewer system, it can back up into your home and can cause unsanitary conditions and damages that can beexpensive to repair.
More money is spent in fixing property damage caused from sewage backups resulting in expensive clean up and plumbing repairs. Clogged sewers canals lead to overflows, which can runoff into the street and straight into the stormdrainsystem,and eventuallyintoourcreeksandstreamswithout being treated. Again, more money isneeded to mitigate this problem.
Whenusedcookingoilsaredumpedintorivers,streamsorponds,itis difficult to remove them. It is because that 1 litre of oil will contaminate 1 million litres of water.
The production ofbacteria will arisedue tothe accumulation ofthe solid oil waste. All life forms need water to live. When used cooking oil is poured down the house drains, some of the drain systems will lead to the rivers, streams or ponds. This oil will be dumped into it and causes a disastrous effect on anykind of life forms in the rivers, streams or ponds such as killing fishes and water plants. Oil is poisonous to birds and kills them. It sticks totheir feathers whichpreventingthemfromflyingand keepingtheirbodywarm.
3.4 Collection of Used Cooking Oils
Each year, 20 million tonnes of vegetable and animal oils are used for cooking purposes all over the world. Although most of this amount consumed at industrial foundations, it is still not easy to collect and recycle these oils. Since their economic value either in crude or waste form, they can be sold in legal or illegal manners.
To avoid pollution and protect the health of human and environment, all waste vegatable oils must be incorporate in the collecting system. For this reason, all producers of waste vegetable oil should deliver waste oils to the collectors and transporters permitted by city governorships and ensure these wastes are recycled by facilities licenced by Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
The content of total polar compounds and acid value are the most predominant indicators for oil quality and are widely used in many international regulation. For public health concerns, the content of total polar compounds and acid value in frying oil are regulated at not more than 25% and 2.0 mg KOH/g, respectively.
In Turkey, expiration criteria for frying oils has been determined on “The control criteria for the solid and liquid oils used for frying” by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Legislation No: 2007/41. State Gazette Number: 26627).
4. USED VEGETABLE OILS RECYCLING and AREAS OF UTILIZATION
According to “Control of Waste Vegetable Oils Regulation”, recycling of waste vegetable oil is defined as collection of oils by MoEU licenced facilities and treating to produce intermediate products (soap bullion, stearine, raw material for chemical industry) and final products (soap, biodiesel etc.).
Facilities to recycle waste vegetable oil should have environment licence from MoEU to start their operation. At the licencing stage, they have to acquire necessary permissions from Ministry of Health for soap production, from Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for feeder oil. However, for their cancerogen and unhealtfull effects on organisms, use of used frying oil in production of soap or feeder oil is banned since 2005 by related organizations mutual decisions.
4.1 Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a biodegradable, combustible fuel made from vegetable oils and/or animal fats. Biodiesel produced from by-products and waste materials can be an economical way of reducing traditional oil consumption and environmental problems. The by-products from the vegetable oil refining industry such as soapstock, acid oil and fatty acid distillates are suitable for producing biodiesel.
Production of biodiesel is usually done by base‐ catalyzed trans‐esterification of fats/oils (i.e.make a big multi‐chain molecule into 3 smaller molecules).
It can be used in any compression ignition engine that will accept regular diesel fuel. Engine does NOT need to be modified to use biodiesel blended with regular diesel.