The Dangers of Used Cooking Oil & Reusing Cooking Oil

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Did you know? Used cooking oil can harm the environment and human health. This is because it contains various hazardous substances, including carcinogenic compounds, free radicals, and trans fats.

However, to minimize the dangers of used cooking oil, Warga Asri can do some processing, such as filtering and recycling. To understand the impact of reusing cooking oil waste and the proper way to process it, let’s read the following article.

What Is Used Cooking Oil?

Used cooking oil refers to oil that has been repeatedly used for frying food. Compared to new cooking oil, it generally has a darker color and a taste that is no longer neutral.

These changes are caused by the oxidation process and contamination with food particles. In terms of quality, used cooking oil experiences a decrease in quality due to the repeated heating process.

Moreover, used cooking oil contains trans fatty acids, free radicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide. Most of which are formed during high-temperature frying and are known carcinogens.

Furthermore, according to an article entitled “An Estimate of the Current Collection and Potential Collection of Used Cooking Oil from Major Asian Exporting Countries,” Indonesia is estimated to produce 715 kilotons of used cooking oil annually.

Not only is it bad for health, but used cooking oil is also included in hazardous waste that can harm the environment. Therefore, the processing of used cooking oil must be carried out correctly to prevent environmental pollution.

Dangers of Used Cooking Oil for the Environment and Health

Both households and the food industry often produce used cooking oil in their daily cooking activities. It turns out that this oil can cause several negative impacts on the environment and health, namely:

1. Polluting Water

The first impact of used cooking oil waste is water pollution. When used cooking oil is disposed of carelessly into drains, this waste can damage the quality of the water, making it cloudy, smelly, and contaminated with hazardous substances.

In addition, used cooking oil can also form a layer that blocks sunlight from entering the water. This condition can interfere with the photosynthesis process in plants, which disrupts the aquatic ecosystem.

2. Polluting the Soil

Not only in water, used cooking oil can cause a decrease in soil quality because it can disrupt the life of microorganisms that play a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility.

Therefore, soil that is continuously contaminated with used cooking oil can become infertile and hard. This makes the soil more difficult to utilize unless a special recovery process is carried out, such as adding organic materials.

3. Endangers Marine Life

Used cooking oil that reaches the sea can cause the death of numerous living creatures, including fish and plankton. This is because it can block sunlight from entering the water, reducing oxygen levels.

If organisms die due to pollution, the entire marine food chain will be disrupted. In the long term, other problems can arise, such as decreased biodiversity and fishermen’s catches.

4. Blocks Water Channels

Disposing of used cooking oil can cause plaque to form on the walls of water channels, which will thicken over time. If left unattended, the plaque will continue to accumulate, eventually blocking the water path and causing the channel to become clogged.

When it does not flow smoothly, water can overflow to the surface and cause flooding. Not only that, clogged water channels can also cause unpleasant odors that can interfere with the comfort and cleanliness of the environment.

5. Increases the Risk of Cancer

From a health perspective, excessive consumption of used cooking oil can increase the risk of cancer symptoms in humans. This is because this oil contains free radicals and carcinogenic substances that can damage healthy cells in the body.

6. Causes Obesity

Used cooking oil contains trans fats that can contribute to weight gain, including obesity. The dangers of used cooking oil can lead to various serious complications, such as heart disease and diabetes.

How Reusing Cooking Oil Plays an Important Role

By processing used cooking oil properly, Warga Asri can minimize the negative impacts that may occur. Starting from filtering to recycling, here are some ways of reusing cooking oil:

1. Filtering Used Cooking Oil

After frying, filter the used cooking oil to remove remaining food particles and maintain its quality. To separate the remaining residue, Warga Asri can use a filter or clean gauze. However, we do not recommend using used cooking oil repeatedly because it can pose a health risk.

2. Storing Used Cooking Oil Properly

Did you know? You had better not to discard used cooking oil immediately. As an alternative, you can store it in a tightly closed container first. Once this oil has been safely packaged, Warga Asri can hand it over to the recyclers for safe and adequate disposal, following established procedures.

3. Recycling Used Cooking Oil

In addition to throwing it away, recycling is a method of processing used cooking oil that can be considered. Several products can be made using this oil, including laundry soap, plant fertilizer, and floor cleaning fluid.

When recycling used cooking oil, ensure that you process it according to safe procedures first. Additionally, follow the recycling guide carefully to prevent hazardous chemical reactions.

One alternative to recycling used cooking oil is to make biofuel as an energy source. To make this happen, Chandra Asri Group has collaborated with TUKR (part of Biofront).

This collaboration led to the creation of a used cooking oil collection activity aimed at preserving the environment within the factory’s operational area in Cilegon. This program is called Manajemen Pengumpulan Minyak Jelantah untuk Lingkungan, or MINYAKU.

MINYAKU supports local communities and fosters partnerships with community associations and waste banks to ensure that the used cooking oil collection process is conducted following established procedures. This oil exchange offers benefits in the form of savings on used cooking oil per liter to the community.

This program is expected to help preserve the environment, serve as a platform for public education on the management of used cooking oil, and have a positive impact on the local economy.

Those are some of the dangers of used cooking oil and the right way to manage it to minimize the impact of this waste. So, are you interested in processing used cooking oil into reusable items?

If you want to contribute more to preserving the environment, consider joining Indonesia Asri. By joining Indonesia Asri, you have the opportunity to take part in the #SiPalingSustainable challenge.

#SiPalingSustainable is a campaign that can support you in various exciting and simple challenges. Additionally, you can share moments from the challenge on the official Indonesia Asri website to have the opportunity to become a winner of the challenge.

So, don’t wait any longer. Register now and join to become Warga Asri!