Entrevista à EcoMovimento

Interview with EcoMovimento

APOREB

June 29, 2023

Used Cooking Oil

APOREB begins a cycle of interviews with its members, and is pleased to share the results with all the people and entities with whom it interacts. The first interviewee is Hugo Rocha, manager of the company EcoMovimento.

1. EcoMovimento is a young company. Tell us about its beginnings and evolution.

Since 2011, EcoMovimento has been a licensed operator for waste management, particularly used cooking oil (UCO), developing activity in 3 major sectors: HORECA, industrial and domestic. The first two sectors mentioned represent approximately 85% of our activity and, geographically, we operate from Leiria to the north of Portugal, with a greater incidence in the districts of Braga and Porto.

Growth over the last 5 years has been steady and optimistic. As a reference, we achieved growth of 21% in 2020 and 40% in 2021, processing around 1,200,000 liters of UCO last year.

The pandemic, in addition to new challenges, brought new opportunities: in 2020 we reinforced activity in the domestic sector with the exclusive development GOTA: a recycling point intended for the deposit of UCO produced in the domestic sector. Almost 1 year and 6 months later, we managed to create conditions for UCO recycling for more than 1,200,000 Portuguese people, where the demand for GOTA has exceeded our expectations. The intention is to expand our force in the domestic sector to the entire country, making the recycling of this waste accessible and universal.

2. How is the collection and treatment of UCO by EcoMovimento?

The logistics of the collection process follow a very similar logic regardless of the sectors in question (HORECA/industrial Vs. domestic): in a cyclical manner and with a defined, but flexible periodicity, the UCO is collected. In the HORECA/Industrial channel, we replace full barrels with empty, sanitized barrels. With GOTA, we collect the bottles that are inside and sanitize the container and its surrounding area.

Once collected by our collection team, the UCO arrives at EcoMovimento and is subjected to a physical process (filtration and decantation), free from the use of chemicals, allowing it to reach an optimal level of quality. Most of the UCO are sent to the Portuguese biofuel producing industry, in tanker trucks.

3. Do you consider the current legislation that regulates the UCO management activity to be adequate? How do you envisage the emergence of a possible management entity?

I believe in the need to review the legislation applicable to UCO in order to simplify the entire recycling operation of this waste. The fact that more and more owners and entrepreneurs, from the HORECA and industrial sectors, are aware of the obligation to treat the UCO produced in their establishments, seems to mask the reality a little and put in the background the need to make this activity clearer and more professional possible. I consider it very important to update and streamline the guidelines that Waste Operators have, or at least should, comply with.

The issue of the emergence of a management entity for the UCO is delicate due to the fact that there is little information about its possible outcome. I can, with confidence, say that we have Waste Management Operators in Portugal capable of responding to treatment needs in any of the three sectors. I hope that the managing entity represents an opportunity to professionalize the sector and allow the implementation of effective UCO collection networks that reach all Portuguese citizens.

4. What do you expect for the future of OAU management activity?

The answer to this question ends up being a summary of what has been covered so far: the area of waste management, particularly the UCO, is changing and, I believe, for the better – whether because there are more and more companies licensed for the activity, or due to the high adherence and willingness of citizens to properly treat the UCO produced at home.

However, there are two major points that, in my opinion, will define the near future of this activity: the professionalization of the area as a whole (people, companies, logistical and financial processes, etc.) and what will actually bring about the possible integration of a managing entity.

In short, at EcoMovimento we believe that recycling is for everyone!

See the article on the website of APOREB.

Tag :

EcoMovimento, UCO, GOTA, recycle

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