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Vegetable oil is a humble hero of cuisine, great for sautéing, seasoning and salad dressing. And, if you’re lucky enough to live in Kensington and Chelsea, it’ll be fuelling your bin lorries too.
London’s most wealthy borough has announced that 44 of its rubbish collection vehicles will be powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as part of a planet-focused trial.
The swap could cut carbon emissions by 90 percent, according to the council – that’s around 300 tonnes of carbon saved from being released into the atmosphere each year. Ten percent of the emissions will be cut from the vehicle’s output, and a huge 80 percent at the source of the fuel.
HVO is very different to the average bottle you’d cook with - hydrotreating involves reacting vegetable oil with hydrogen under high temperature and pressure, which produces a fuel similar to diesel. Because of HVO’s similarity to diesel which is what’s generally used to power bin lorries, the vehicles won’t need to be adapted at all to use the new fuel. There also won’t be any increase in costs, and it’s hoped that the switch will actually make rubbish collection cheaper over time.
Councillor Johnny Thalassites, lead member for net zero at Kensington and Chelsea council said: ‘Achieving net zero is increasingly difficult for councils who are rightly prioritising keeping essential services running for residents. By trialling hydrotreated vegetable oil in place of a polluting fuel like diesel, we are innovating without compromising service. Residents are still getting their bins collected twice a week, and it’s not costing more either – win win.
‘A lot of HVO is reclaimed from catering. So next time you’re enjoying Friday night fish and chips, the oil used to fry your meal may well end up fuelling our waste collection vehicles.’
ICYMI: London is officially the second-greenest city in the world.
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