An article by Ni Komang Erviani, Bali Daily.

One hundred and fourteen hotels and restaurants have been given awards for supporting an oil recycling project that converts used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Yayasan Lengis Hijau, the foundation that manages the project, presented certificates of appreciation to those hotels and restaurants that actively contributed their used cooking oil to be processed into biodiesel.

The certificates — jointly signed by the three international organizations that support the program, namely Caritas Switzerland, Kuoni and My Climate — were handed over during a modest ceremony in Denpasar on Thursday.

“During this year, we noticed and realized that their support, concern and commitment were the key to success in saving the environment and protecting the public health of communities in Bali through their efforts to recycle used cooking oil for biodiesel,” liason officer of Yayasan Lengis Hijau, Putri Widia Kirana, said.

The top 10 hotels and restaurants receiving these certificates were Bubba Gump Bali, Padma Resort Bali, Anantara Seminyak Bali, McDonald’s Nangka Denpasar, Four Seasons Resort Bali in Jimbaran, Four Seasons Resort Bali in Sayan, Banyan Tree Ungasan, Kuta Paradiso Hotel, The Stones Hotel and McDonald’s Sanur. The top 10 were determined based on the volume of used cooking oil contributed to the project over the last year.

However, Putri said, the most important thing was active participation, rather than the volume of used cooking oil contributed. “Because we do understand that all companies have different capacities,” she said.

Initiated by Caritas Switzerland, an organization focusing on socioeconomic development, the cooking oil recycling project kicked off operations on Feb. 18, 2013. The project, also supported by Denpasar mayoralty, aims to reduce greenhouse emissions, protect soil and water and avoid various health risks by reducing human consumption of overused cooking oil.

The project is conducted in a refinery located in North Denpasar, the daily operation for which is run by Lengis Hijau Foundation. Caritas Switzerland provides technical and managerial assistance. Lengis Hijau staff pick up used cooking oil on a daily basis, paying Rp 2,000 (17 US cents) per liter. The factory can process 3,000 liters per day making use of a semi-automatic biodiesel processor.

Putri said that the foundation had built cooperation with more than 100 hotels and restaurants in Bali over the year. Up to end of February 2014, the foundation had managed to save and prevent the reuse of 118,893 liters of used cooking oil, processing it into more than 100,000 litters of biodiesel.

To read full article, click here.