USM also recycles used vegetable oil!
Used fryer oil is collected by Maine Standard Bio-fuels and recycled into environmentally friendly bio-diesel. The oil is collected on the Gorham and Portland campuses and brought to the processing plant, which is located right in Portland!
What is bio-diesel?
- Bio-diesel is a diesel fuel alternative made entirely from vegetable and animal fats such as canola oil, bacon grease, or olive oil.
- Through various processing techniques, bio-diesel is made to be used directly with any diesel engine, no retrofits or extra parts are needed!
How does recycling used oil help USM?
- Recycling used cooking oil is essential to meeting USM's waste reduction goals.
- By removing used oil from the waste stream, USM saves money on waste hauling and keeps a valuable commodity out of the trash.
- Having access to sustainable and renewable energy sources such as biofuel is important to USM as displayed by our investments in on-campus green energy including geothermal heating and cooling, solar photovoltaic, and solar hot water systems.
- Working with M.S.B helps improve the local economy and the local environment.
- Providing a needed resource supports our neighbors using biofuel such as Oakhurst Dairy.
- Working with local companies like Maine Standard Bio-fuels provides networking opportunities for students that can lead to research projects, internships, and careers.
Why Maine Standard Bio-fuels?
- M.S.B is locally owned and operated so used oil does not travel far to be processed or sold. M.S.B. also employs USM students and alums!
- Everyone at M.S.B is focused on producing an environmentally friendly fuel to offset Maine’s use of foreign oil.
- Everything at M.S.B is recycled:
- Any leftover food in the oil is filtered and given to a local pig farmer.
- The byproducts of the processing are utilized as specialized forms of fuel and biodegradable soaps.
- All paper and plastics are recycled plus bottle and can returns are donated to local charities.
by Joshua Keough, USM Environmental Science Student, Plant Technician & Educational Outreach Associate at Maine Standard Bio-fuels: joshua.keough@maine.edu. Visit the Maine Standard Bio-fuels Website here!