Recycle Your Used Cooking Oil!
Environmental Protection
Used Cooking Oil or "UCO'' are oils originating from household, commercial or industrial food processing operations, that have been used for cooking or frying.UCO from households, food premises such as cafeterias and restaurants are among the main contributors to water pollution. Pollution originating from UCO occurs due to:1) UCO that are thrown into the sink can clog drains and sewers, ruin septic tanks.2) The freezing method of UCO into solid state and throwing it along with solid waste and lastly end up in the landfill. The problem here is at a certain temperature the solidified oil will melt and pollute the landfills.The most significant problem that occurs from the improper management of UCO is indeed the environmental issues, particularly in water and soil pollution. When UCO ultimately ends up reaching the natural water reserves, it is severely harming aquatic and marine life. It has been found to kill the fishes, birds, plants and other aquatic life forms by coating them with oily layers, literally reducing their ability to breathe, thus choking them to death.There is better way to manage UCO by recycling them. This approach has environmental and economic benefits. In brief, public can sell UCO to the UCO recycling agencies for biofuel production as a sustainable replacement for petroleum-based diesel. As for environmental benefits, there will be less pollution from reduced disposal of UCO and less natural resource extraction for diesel production. In terms of economic benefits, public can generate extra income from recycling their UCO. The current selling price of UCO in Malaysia is around RM1.50-RM2.50 kilogram.However, not many knows about the benefits of recycling UCO. The awareness among public is still lacking. For that reason, we have to instil their awareness on recycling UCO for the betterment of the environment and as well for the better livelihood of the public. Hence a program will be held to provide awareness and knowledge to the public on recycling UCO. As a pilot program, the focus of this program will be a residential community in Taman Sri Bayu, Tampan Pantai Sepang, Taman Sri Sungai Pelek, and Kampung Bagan Lalang.
Overview of Issue / Background
Used Cooking Oil or "UCO'' are oils originating from household, commercial or industrial food processing operations, that have been used for cooking or frying.UCO from households, food premises such as cafeterias and restaurants are among the main contributors to water pollution. Pollution originating from UCO occurs due to:
1) UCO that are thrown into the sink can clog drains and sewers, ruin septic tanks.
2) The freezing method of UCO into solid state and throwing it along with solid waste and lastly end up in the landfill. The problem here is at a certain temperature the solidified oil will melt and pollute the landfills.
The most significant problem that occurs from the improper management of UCO is indeed the environmental issues, particularly in water and soil pollution. When UCO ultimately ends up reaching the natural water reserves, it is severely harming aquatic and marine life. It has been found to kill the fishes, birds, plants and other aquatic life forms by coating them with oily layers, literally reducing their ability to breathe, thus choking them to death.
There is better way to manage UCO by recycling them. This approach has environmental and economic benefits. In brief, public can sell UCO to the UCO recycling agencies for biofuel production as a sustainable replacement for petroleum-based diesel. As for environmental benefits, there will be less pollution from reduced disposal of UCO and less natural resource extraction for diesel production. In terms of economic benefits, public can generate extra income from recycling their UCO. The current selling price of UCO in Malaysia is around RM1.50-RM2.50 kilogram.
However, not many knows about the benefits of recycling UCO. The awareness among public is still lacking. For that reason, we have to instil their awareness on recycling UCO for the betterment of the environment and as well for the better livelihood of the public. Hence a program will be held to provide awareness and knowledge to the public on recycling UCO. As a pilot program, the focus of this program will be a residential community in Taman Sri Bayu, Tampan Pantai Sepang, Taman Sri Sungai Pelek, and Kampung Bagan Lalang.
Project Objectives (Vision & Mission)
1. To expose the community regarding the harm of poor management of used cooking oil.
2. To provide explanation on the implementation of used cooking oil recycling.
3. To encourage the community to recycle their used cooking oil.
Project Details (Activities and Tasks)
Project Details
4.1 Collection of used cooking oil
Undergrad Environmental Management students will be collecting used cooking oil from Putra Food Court, the cafeteria in Universiti Putra Malaysia .
4.2 Soap Making
The committee members of Solid Waste Management are making the soap from used cooking oil by using Research and Development (R&D) methods. The process of making the soap requires 2-3 weeks.
4.3 Selling soap on Environmental Week
Undergrad Environmental Management students are selling soap from used cooking oil at our Environmental Week program that be held on 11 November 2023 under our management Faculty of Forestry and Environment.
4.4 Awareness Campaign
The awareness campaign regarding recycling activity of used cooking will be held as a forum to spread awareness to the community. Among activities will be held are:
1. Distribution of pre and post questionnaire survey
There will be distribution of the pre questionnaire survey at the beginning of the campaign and post questionnaire survey at the end of the awareness program. The significance of this activity is to measure the changes in participants’ knowledge and awareness on UCO recycling after they participate in the program.
2. Talk by the project leader regarding Recycling Used Cooking Oil
The project leader will give a presentation to expose participants to the harms of UCO towards the environment. This will relate to the public roles to do their part to reduce disposal of UCO by recycling for environmental protection.
3. Demonstration of Soap making from used cooking oil
Undergrad Environmental Management students will be organizing soap making activities where participants can make their own soap from UCO. This is an alternative on how to reuse the UCO for personal usage, or better, for side income generation.
4. Activities
Series of games will be conducted to make the program interesting. Colouring competition, lucky person and word scrambles to be decided will be held to test participants’ knowledge on issues circulating around UCO. Prizes will be given to winners. Sponsorship will be obtained to cover the costs of prizes.
Expected Project Result & Outcomes
- Community
- Able to raise awareness regarding the harm of poor management of used cooking oil.
- Able to improve their knowledge on how to recycle used cooking oil.
- Able to encourage them to participate in used cooking oil recycling for the long term.
B) Collector/Industry
- Able to obtain a source for biodiesel production.
- Promoting circular economy for sustainability.
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noraliza ramli10 months agoRM 10.00 -
Azrina10 months agoRM 10.00
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Anonymous10 months agoRM 10.00
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Yasmin Saiful10 months agoRM 5.00
100% of RM450.00 Goal
Project Information
| University name | : | Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) |
| Project leader name | : | NUR ATIRAH BINTI ABDULLAH |
| Instagram link | : | https://instagram.com/recycle.your.uco?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== |
| Project implementation date | : | 2023-12-02 |
| Location of project held | : | Dewan Komuniti Pantai Sepang Putra |
| Beneficiary | : | Community of Taman Sri Bayu, Taman Sepang Putra, Taman Sri Sungai Pelek and Kampung Bagan Lalang |
| Number of beneficiaries | : | 100 |
Section I
a. Project Goals:
The project basically raise community awareness about the adverse effects resulting from improper handling of used cooking oil whether in knowledge and their attitude. Perhaps, the project motivate and inspire the community to actively engage in recycling their used cooking oil for a more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach.
b. Fund-raising support & Other external sponsorship:
Family members and friends
c. Project Implementation:
Project Flow Summary:
10 Oct - 12 Oct 2023
Collection of used cooking oil from Putra Food Court, UPM.
13 Oct 2023
Activity : First batch of UCO soap making.
18 Oct 2023
Received Grant from Khind Starfish Foundation
19 Oct 2023
Budgeting and purchased materials
24 Oct 2023
Selling soap for Environmental Week
6 Nov 2023
Activity: Second batch of UCO soap making
17 Nov 2023
Activity: Third batch of UCO soap making
24 Nov 2023
Development of UCO soap making modulefor participants.
2 Dec 2023
Awareness campaign of Recycling Your Used Cooking Oil! Project
• Participation of the community
• Engagement session with local community
• Interview the head of community
Photo session
Site cleaning
d. Difficulties:
The community acceptance towards an awareness campaign.
Limitations of project venues.
Budget control on purchased material.
Work overtime on the last few days to accomplish the project progress.
e. Language or cultural barriers
We had a good engagement with the communities. The only difference is it requires more politeness when interacting with elderly. They are happy with our visit to their area. They are supporting, open minded and ready to change for a better future of lifestyle.
f. Project Implementation Process
Overall what went well for the project was that each of our team members was clear on their respective tasks and this made the whole project implementation go smoothly and efficiently. Besides, the full cooperation and trust given by our participants, gave us a lot of help and support for the project coordination. We were pleased that all the children and the elderly were satisfied and happy with the project outcomes. Last but not least, Recycling Used Cooking Oil project successfully raised the amount of crowdfunding and at the same time encouraged public support and taking care of the environment and their needs.
g. Beneficiaries
1. Selling soap from used cooking oil
We focused on the community of University Putra Malaysia especially the Faculty of Forestry and Environment and others. The umbers targeted is 200 participants.
2. Awareness campaign
We focused on the community around Dewan Komuniti Pantai Sepang Putra as they are identified as the communities that reluctlantly shows the least numbers of participation in collecting used cooking oil. So, we hope to spread awareness of the harms from the poor used cooking oil management to the environment at their area.
From our project we target 100 participants of the community that interested to join us.
h. Sustainability
This project can be sustained for continuation with prolonged co-operation between community and UCO collection/recycling company with the implementation of circular economy concept.
The practice of recycling UCO among communities can be sustained due to the monetary benefits/incentives they can obtain, around RM1.50-RM2.50/kg. With the current reduced market price of palm oil cooking oil, we can assume there will be lots of usage of cooking oil due to our favorite Malaysian culture eating fried food. Hence there will be more production of UCO.
Moreover, in this state of economy, Malaysians’ cost of living has increased with the spike of grocery expenses. Communities will be looking for opportunities for extra income generation. For instance, if an individual is storing and recycling 20kg of UCO to the recycling company, he can sell UCO with the maximum price of RM50 effortlessly. The best thing about recycling UCO, the recycling company will pick UCO at our location/house.
Section II
a. (i) Happiness
Firstly, it promotes environmental consciousness by encouraging proper disposal, reducing pollution, and fostering a sense of responsibility. Secondly, it may inspire a community to work together for a cleaner environment, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose, which can positively impact overall well-being. Additionally, knowing that one is contributing to a healthier planet through small actions can bring a sense of fulfillment and happiness to individuals involved in the campaign.
a. (ii) Changes
Yes, a recycling used cooking oil awareness campaign can influence people's thoughts about the world. By highlighting the environmental impact of improper disposal and promoting recycling, it raises awareness about individual contributions to global issues. This can lead to a shift in mindset, fostering a sense of responsibility and mindfulness towards the planet. Over time, as more people embrace sustainable practices, it can contribute to a collective change in attitude and behavior, creating a more environmentally conscious society.
b. Summary
A recycling used cooking oil awareness campaign teach me about environmental responsibility, emphasizing the impact of proper disposal on pollution reduction. It promotes the importance of recycling to create a cleaner planet, fostering a sense of personal contribution to global well-being. Participants learn about sustainable practices, encouraging a shift towards environmentally conscious behavior and a greater understanding of their role in creating a healthier and more sustainable world.
Section III
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