In an effort to salvage all of the cooking oil used annually in Barcelona, city officials have begun handing out free “OliPots” oil pots in an attempt to get more citizens to deposit the material for eventual reuse. The new recycling initiative aims to reclaim as much of the used cooking oil as possible, in turn keeping it from contaminating local water in addition to providing an alternative ingredient for soap, biodiesel and even paint!
In 2010, the city initiated recycling centers dubbed “Green Points” and was able to recapture 195,136 liters of oil – which is just 2.5% of the oil used each year in the city. With the new oil pots, and a new campaign launched by the city council, Barcelona hopes to transform this number significantly. The Olipot will make it easy for citizens to save any type of oil (sans the smell) and allow them to easily drop the waste off at any Green Point in the city. Moreover, as most people pour used oil down the sink, Barcelona sees this as a big step in mitigating issues related to clogging drains and water contamination.
The Olipot itself features a built-in filter that separates the oil from any lingering food, as well as an insulating skin that allows the user to pour hot oil up to 180ºC into the container without burning themselves or warping the pot. A screw top ensures that there are no leaks, and a convenient handle makes for easy portability. There is also no limit as to which oils can be recycled – the city will take any type of oil.
Via Treehugger
Image Credit: VilaWeb
Please tell me if there is a way to purchase these Olipots. I work for the City of San Jose California in the Sewer Line Cleaning Section and we have encountered may problems with residents disposing of grease improperly.