July 13th is National French Fry day, and that makes us hungry…but it also makes us think of renewable fuels.
Why you ask?
Well, the used cooking oil (UCO) that these popular (and all too crave-able) morsels are fried in is actually vital to the renewable fuel and biomass-based diesel industries.
Renderers pick up UCO from restaurants and much of it (along with rendered animal fat) is used to produce sustainable biomass-based diesel – namely biodiesel and renewable diesel. In fact, almost twenty percent of the feedstock used to make these biofuels comes from fats and oils supplied by the rendering industry.
The low carbon intensity score of recycled “waste” products like animal fats and UCO makes them excellent and sustainable options for use in biomass-based diesel, while reducing food waste in the process!
NARA and the National Biodiesel Board actively educate on just how the fried foods you eat help to contribute to renewable fuels, as seen in the infographic below.
We wish you a very happy National French Fry day, and hope you get an extra smile knowing that your midnight snack is actually helping to reduce food waste and create green energy!
