TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Putting used cooking oil or grease down the drain can lead to a pretty costly plumbing bill, so Pima County is inviting the community to drop off their used grease on Saturday to save your pipes and the environment.
The county has partnered with Tucson company Grecycle since 2005.
For over a decade Michael Kazz and his Grecycle team have collected used cooking grease and oil from restaurants, food trucks, the University of Arizona, Davis Monthan Air Force and even a few households to turn that used oil into biodiesel.
At Grecycle, they refine the oil, straining out the food scraps and clumps, saving the smooth liquid called "yellow grease" or "feedstock."
That feedstock is then sent to biodiesel plants in surrounding states where it's processed into fuel.
The clean oil is heated up before being combined with methyl alcohol— or methanol— and a chemical catalyst to kick off a reaction.
That mixture separates into biodiesel and a chemical called glycerin before the microscopic water particles can be boiled out.
If you want to be part of the process, check out any of these six location
O'Rielly Chevrolet
6160 E. Broadway Blvd.
Pima Community College, Northwest Campus
7600 N. Shannon Road
Kino Sports Complex
2500 E. Ajo Way
Sahuarita Town Hall Complex
375 W. Sahuarita Center Way
Pima County Wastewater Annex
3233 N. Dodge Blvd.
Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility
2947 W. Calle Agua Nueva
You can also donate year-round at the Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility.
