Every May 17th is celebrated the World Recycling Day. The objective is to raise public awareness about the importance of actively participating in waste recovery which can be put to new use. It is a process through which a treatment is carried out on a specific material or input to obtain a new raw material or product from it.
In this sense, the recycling of used vegetable oil, for example, makes it possible to take advantage of a valuable resource: Instead of throwing it away, it can be conditioned and turned into biodiesel, a renewable fuel and cleaner than fossil fuels. By opting for recycling, dependence on non-renewable natural resources, such as oil, is reduced, and more sustainable habits and businesses are promoted.
Based in the Santa Fe city of Capitán Bermúdez, the DH-SH company is one of the main companies in the management and logistics market for the recycling of used vegetable oil. According to data provided by the firm, the first to present research on the management of used vegetable oil in the country together with the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), between small (home generators) and large generators (businesses, industries), almost 100 million liters of this waste are discarded every year.
According to a survey carried out by the firm and the Faculty, more than half of the Argentines who cook fried foods do not separate this residue and they discard it in pipes, contaminating our water resources: just one liter of used vegetable oil can contaminate up to a thousand liters of water.
“Recycle your oil” campaign
The study carried out by the company also shows that only 22% of households recover used vegetable oil on a regular basis, 25% do so occasionally and 53% never recover the oil once used for frying. Even so, 73% of those surveyed presented a high motivation to separate if the process were facilitated. and/or had access to more information on how to do so. “Based on these data, we have been working more and more on a solution: that is, greater dissemination, educational talks and the constant growth of our green points.” he commented Sebastián Soso, Head of Communication at DH-SH.
Aware of this reality, since 2017, DH-SH has carried out the “Recycle your oil” campaign which consists of the collection and conditioning of used vegetable oil generated by businesses and homes. He does it from a job of articulation with municipalities and communes throughout the country where team actions tending to manage this waste and solve its logistics are specified.
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Among the steps included in the program are: the provision of green points in the territories so that people can transport their used oil in plastic bottles, more awareness campaigns, with educational talks aimed above all at schools, but also at citizens, civil servants and generators according to demand.
“Contact with the community and educational institutions is vital for us, since our goal is to sow awareness and work collaboratively in each town where we land. The agents of change of the future are children and adolescents and it is important to instill changes in them of habit towards the regeneration of our planet”, highlighted Antonella Druetta, the company’s Environment Manager.
Currently, DH-SH has generated close to 100 agreements in provinces such as Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Corrientes, Salta and Mendoza, among others, and more than 250 green points.
gathering of collectors
The company carried out its first meeting of used vegetable oil collectorswhich took place at its plant and included the participation of 26 key collaborators so that the recycling process is possible throughout the country: They traveled from Salta, Catamarca, Jujuy, Mendoza, Entre Ríos, Formosa and Buenos Aires, among others.
“The message that the last activity left me made me feel that I am someone important to the company. I am very happy to be part of it,” he said. Christian Ram, one of the participants. In this line, Sonia Brasiligianoalso a collector who participated in the meeting, highlighted that the activities they carried out during the sessions were “very useful since we cleared up doubts and we were able to learn about other experiences, which help us to improve our work.”
Other comments from collectors highlighted the potential to continue growing in this sector and the importance of working together to achieve specific objectives aligned with the environment, based on clear work goals.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
