Vegetable Oil Income with Ecological Soap
by Brazilian Foundation of America
The means of utilizing used fried vegetable oil for the production of homemade soap was chosen by the BFA of Brazil as being a way for the community to obtain an income and to help in the preservation of the environment by being ecologically correct from its recycling of the oil.
Worldwide billions of liters of kitchen oil is consumed each year. After it’s used the majority of the homeowners discard the cooking oil by means of pouring it down the sink drain thus clogging the sewers and furthermore obstructing the pipes/tubes and polluting the earth and the water. Some studies have indicated that one liter of oil can contaminate up to 1 million liters of water.
General Objective
We offer to the community members the possibility of income and dignity, in ways of contributing towards the preservation of the environment with the reduction of the amount of fat residues that would go to finish contaminating the water resources in our planet.
Specific Objectives
- The project participants will establish a great net of residential and commercial collections;
- To acquire knowledge and to motivate the entrepreneurs in the culinary industry (residencial and commercial) of the importance of its participation in the project of storing the oil;
- To divulge the project to the final consumers of the restaurants, bars and residential homes indicating that they are participating in this program providing signs, stamps or logos that can be displayed on their homes, buildings and restaurant menus.
Project Direction
We are currently initiating the soap course with 18 participants involved. We are testing different recipes to be able to provide assorted products for the consumers. The members of the community are being invited to join in to particcipate in the used vegetable oil program.
Our Mission
30 people of the community in cooperative form, where the participants will be assisted during the first 6 months with a responsible instructor for the technical accompaniment of its work, operational and administrative support of the BFA to help and to direct optimum ways that the cooperative must follow.
After the 6 month period the cooperatives will be able to work alone. BFA will continue with follow ups and direction to make certain that the individuals are implementing the proper proceedures of the commercialized products.
Employed Methodology
Education
Members of the community are invited to participate and receive information on the vegetable oil program and from this they will acquire the knowledge from the people to join in on the used vegetable oil projects.
The registration of the participents is made thru a questionaire which will include their names, addresses, telephone numbers and the amount of used oil.
The used vegetable oil will go on to be stored in special plastic bins with covers that will be periodically collected by the members of the community.
During the collection of the used oil BFA will be presented as the institution who is involved in the co-ordinated program.
Collection of the OilThe collection of the oil will come from commercial and private residential establishments that use vegetable oil. Where the members of the community will make the community members aware of the problems from the saturated oil when launched in an incorrect way into the environment dirrectly into the sewerlines.
Storage
The collected oil will be stored in specially designated bins for this cause. Where and when necessary for the soap production.
Awareness
In parallel it will also be an environmental education with the community children and also in the schools. Where the students will be informed on the problems of the used fried oil in our drains, its problems related to the environment and the positive outcomes from the recycling of the oil. The children will return the knowledge received through a drawing on the subject with a reward for the chosen project.