EcoMovimento: Recycle used cooking oil at a GOTA near you

Revista Spot

Sustainability

In 2020, and with the pandemic slowing down the collection of used cooking oil in the HORECA sector, EcoMovimento launched GOTA, equipment developed for the collection of used cooking oil produced in the domestic sector, a bet that allowed the treatment of 1,200,000 liters of this residue. Circular economy, biodiesel recycling and reduction of environmental impact, in a chain that continues to gain strength with this crucial collection phase. There are already 700 GOTA spread across Portugal and they promise to continue to increase…

oleao gota

Reverse the course of history

Produced from recyclable plastic, GOTA became the starting point for a new phase of this Operation and Waste Management company that wants to continue making the habit of recycling cooking oil as normal as recycling plastic, glass or paper. 

Oleão GOTA

After a solid presence in the HORECA sector, it now ‘enters’ consumers homes. With the recent partnership with LIPOR, EcoMovimento is preparing to work with 1 million citizens from the eight counties associated, making up about 10% of the UCO collection needs from the domestic sector in Portugal. “We do domestic collection from Leiria to the North. The objective is to grow sustainably that allows us to continue to ensure quality collection.”, reveals Hugo Rocha, responsible for EcoMovimento.

The importance of raising awareness

When studies reveal us that one liter of oil pollutes one million liters of water, we realize that any liter of recycled used cooking oil makes a difference. According to Quercus, for every ton of used cooking oil that is recycled, the emission of around 14 tons of greenhouse gases can be avoided compared to the same amount sent to landfills. From parents to children, raising awareness in schools continues to be an important task, but EcoMovimento believes in the power of communication to reach all consumers. This is also why the pictograms demystify all doubts and provide the necessary information for the correct treatment of used cooking oil (UCO). “We want the process to be simple, but for people to understand some essential rules: Let the oil cool, place it in a plastic bottle removing, if possible, any food remains, and place it in the nearest GOTA. UCO should never be poured directly into GOTA, nor should waste other than used cooking oil be placed in it, in order to avoid possible contamination,” he explains.

Transform UCO into biodiesel

What is the fate of this RESIDUE? The EcoMovimento collection team collects used cooking oil and sends them to its production unit, where the UCO is treated and refined, and is subsequently sent to treatment centers where it is mostly transformed into biodiesel. “Biodiesel is a cleaner energy in terms of emissions, with a clear benefit for the environment. European standards are increasingly encouraging, it is expected that the amount of biofuel to be incorporated into diesel will increase, with this action always limited to the availability of used cooking oil,” says Hugo Rocha.

An impact for the future

Last year, EcoMovimento grew around 40% in the volume of processed used cooking oil. The challenge now involves increasing public awareness, with counties assuming a leading role in this task. Increasing the domestic and industrial collection rate and in channels such as the HORECA sector continues to be the path of a company that believes that through small, big steps, true change and environmental awareness can be built for a fairer and greener planet.

See the article in Revista Spot.

Tag :

EcoMovimento, GOTA, used cooking oil, recycling

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