9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
JUst a minute ago,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
this oil helped make a delicious meal possible.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But now, it's just some nasty goop.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
What should we do with it?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Well, the easiest thing would be

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to pour it down the drain;

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that makes it seem likes it's gone,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but it's not really gone.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Instead, it's collecting bits of food

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and other random stuff,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
producing monsterous, greasy blockages,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that clog not only your own drain

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but entire sewage systems,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
causing flooding and pollution.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Many places have laws for proper disposal of grease,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
but we can go one step further.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Instead of just throwing it away safely,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
we can turn it into something useful.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And if you're wondering

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
what anyone could possibly want

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
with a bunch of digusting, used cooking oil,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
the answer is: biodiesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You've probably heard of diesel engines.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
They power farming and construction equipment,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
trucks, buses, ships, trains, back-up generators,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and even some cars.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Most of the fuel that feeds these engines

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is refined from petroleum,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
which comes from long-dead dinosaurs

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and other ancient fossils.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But diesel fuel can also be derived from

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
more recently-dead organisms,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
like plants and animals.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And this type of fuel is what we call biodiesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Biodiesel is a biodegradable energy source,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
made from plant oil or animal fat.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that can usually be burned in regular diesel engines.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You guessed it,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it's the 'bio' version of diesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
It's cleaner than normal diesel,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
so there has been a push to generate it

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
from crops like soybeans.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Now, growing crops for fuel

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
instead of food, comes with its own problems.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But fortunately, we already have some oils and fats right here.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Preparing your used cooking grease for recycling

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is easy.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
First, let it cool down to room temperature.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Then, transfer it to a clean container.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You can use any old bottles you have lying around,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
like milk jugs,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
as long as they're completely empty

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
, rinsed, and dried.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Use a funnel to avoid spills

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and a civ to to filter out any small food particles.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
You can even add bacon grease,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and other animal fats,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
or the excess oil from canned food,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
like tuna or sardines,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
just make sure it's really oil and not brine.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
So, what happens now that your oil is safely contained?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Many cities have recycling services,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
that will pick up large amounts of grease

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
from restaurants and other establishments.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But there are locations

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
where individuals can drop off their containers, as well.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
All of this grease will end up at a processing plant,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
where it can be converted to useable biodiesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
How does this conversion work?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
All these oils and fats you donated

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
are made up of triglycerides,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
a glycerol molecule connected to

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
three fatty acid chains.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
To convert fats to fuel,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
they react with an alcohol,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
usually methanol or ethanol.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
, which produces long-chain esters and glycerol.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
To compare, here are some molecules

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
of regular diesel fuel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Now, here are some molecules we created

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
by breaking apart the triglycerides.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Glycerol is the odd man out,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
so it's removed at the end of the process.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
But look at these esters!

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
If you squint, these structures look pretty similar

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
to those of the long-chain hydrocarbons of regular diesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And diesel engines, with a few small modifications,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
can also be made to squint

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and burn these esters like regular diesel fuel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Et voila! Biodiesel.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Now, you might be wondering

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
if all this hassle over recycled and used cooking oil

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
is even worth it.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
After all, how much energy could it possibly generate?

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Well, if all the grease that New Yorkers throw away in one day,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
were converted to jet fuel,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
it would be enough to power several hundred flights

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
from New York to Los Angeles.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And let's not forget that using waste oil

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
instead of burning more fossil fuels

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
will limit our negative effects on the environment.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
Recycling used cooking grease

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
turns goop into good

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
By contributing a little bit,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
individuals and businesses can help create

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
an alternative, stable source of diesel oil,

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
while protecting the environment

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
and keeping our cities cleaner.

9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000
And that's pretty slick.