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What can be done with the oil left after frying something in a frying pan? There are people who filter it before reusing it, but it usually ends up being poured down the drain. A bad habit, firstly because it can block the pipes. Furthermore,  purifiers do not filter oil, as such it ends up entering the ecosystem. It is not as pollutant as the oil used in engines, but it can form a layer on the surface which hinders water oxygenation and it sticks to fish gills. 

As such, in the event that you have no alternative but to throw away used oil, it is better to pour it into a plastic bottle and throw it away with the rubbish. Since it is a biodegradable material it will end up being eaten by the micro-organisms from which it is made as part of a natural cycle. 

However, an increasing number of districts have “waste collection points” where you can leave the used oil for recycling, generally into biodiesel. Not only are there an increasing amount of waste collection points available to take used oil to. At 50 schools in Madrid, for example, the disabled people’s association AFANIAS has organised a collection system so that children get used to seeing recycling as an everyday habit that they should maintain throughout their lives. Interestingly, a British coach company, Stagecoach, reduces the cost of a ticket for those users who hand over the oil that they have used in their kitchen to the company. 

Oil solidifier

However, handling used oil is not a very appealing job. It can be greasy and requires you to carry containers to and fro from one place to another. One solution is to use the Frito Limpio oil solidification system, which can be purchased via their web page or at Carrefour supermarkets. You buy it in a jar, and in order to use it you just have to put a spoonful of the product in the frying pan when the oil is still hot. In half an hour it will have turned into a solid bar which can be picked up and put to one side for recycling. 

Domestic recycling

In addition to recycling it at processing plants in order to convert it into biodiesel, there is another way of using oil for a new purpose, which is accessible to any consumer. This is making soap, a task which you can do at home, taking precautions so as to avoid accidents. 

To do this, you just have to accumulate two litres of used oil and buy some caustic soda at any household goods shop (this must be handled very carefully and you must read the instructions on the packet, since it is a highly corrosive substance). You mix the soda with two litres of water and the two litres of oil in a washing up bowl, you add some bleach and some fabric softener (in order to improve the aroma, given that the soap would otherwise have a rather unpleasant smell) and you stir it until it starts to solidify and then you leave it to cool down (when it is mixed with the water, the soda heats up) until the following day. This solid mass is chopped into bars and then it is ready.  

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