Green Trust
Since when has reuse been classed as disposal? Biofuel that has been preused as cooking oil or for other purposes is not waste. I have been using it for the past year and I can testify that it is not waste, it is a useful product that has enabled me to stop pumping sulphur into the atmosphere and to produce no net carbon.
I had a similar run-in with the EA department ten years ago over reusing masonry rubble - they wanted me to register as a carrier of waste and I refused stating that it was a raw material. They backed down, they are on dodgy ground especially because they use the term reduce reuse recycle. If they are serious about sustainability they wouldn't impose such regulations which see every commodity as having one use after which it is disposed of in landfill. How are they going to deal with growing movements such as Freecycle? They are going to have to back down over this.
This is probably their line of thinking:
Waste cooking oil used to make biodiesel might make poor-quality fuel, if this biodiesel gunks up the engine and hurts somebody, we could be liable.
What are that quality controls that local groups use when they make the fuel?
waste cooking oil makes biodiesel virtually identical to biodiesel made from virgin oils. if proper attention to detail is made when measuring ingredients, doing titration, and processed according to directions, there won't be any "gunk". yes, one can make bad biodiesel, but not if they follow in the footsteps of those that went before them. testing the ph of the washwater is one of the quality tests we do after making and cleaning the fuel. visual tests is another. I think taxation is their line of thinking, not the health of your vehicle.
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