Comments on: The Green Arches? http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/ a look at how America squanders nearly half of its food Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:46:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9198 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:12:33 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9198 Note: I decided to change the original post to clarify Peter's point and avoid future confusion. Thanks again, Peter. Note: I decided to change the original post to clarify Peter’s point and avoid future confusion. Thanks again, Peter.

]]> by: Jonathan http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9197 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:58:46 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9197 Yes, point taken, Peter. I jumped to the conclusion that they'd be converting their fleet to run on used vegetable oil (SVO) because I've been thinking about grease cars more these days. But I should have realized McDonald's would never go to the trouble of converting their fleet to run on a resource they have on hand--it would make way too much sense. Thanks for the correction and keep me up to speed on UK Anaerobic Digestion. We all need to get our act together on that front. Yes, point taken, Peter. I jumped to the conclusion that they’d be converting their fleet to run on used vegetable oil (SVO) because I’ve been thinking about grease cars more these days. But I should have realized McDonald’s would never go to the trouble of converting their fleet to run on a resource they have on hand–it would make way too much sense.

Thanks for the correction and keep me up to speed on UK Anaerobic Digestion. We all need to get our act together on that front.

]]> by: Peter Fane http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9182 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:37:43 +0000 http://www.wastedfood.com/2007/10/11/the-green-arches/#comment-9182 You refer to Greasecar, but I think McDonalds are planning to use biodiesel, whereas Greasecar markets a conversion system to enable diesel cars to be run on straight vegetable oils (SVO), ie without esterification which makes biodiesel a straight substitute for diesel. In fact a number of firms have been running their diesel fleets on SVO for some years without reported problems - but you wouldn't get them to admit that publicly because they would be in breach of their vehicles' warranties. All modern diesels can be run on biodiesel without further conversion, though vehicle manufacturers are for commercial reasons reluctant to admit this (Citroen now warrant new cars for 30% biodiesel). This gives a substantial reduction in most emissions (- 47% particulates, - 75% PAH compounds - see www.epa.gov/otaq/models,biodsl.htm). The extent to which it is carbon neutral depends on the source of the biodiesel. Where it comes from recycled cooking oil, as in McDonalds' case, it is effectively carbon neutral. Where its derived from oil crops the extent of the CO2 savings is disputed, and for some biodiesel produced from imported palm oil it may be argued that the environmental damage of the way it is grown outweighs the CO2 savings. Its worth noting that a lot of used cooking oil currently goes down the sewers, where it has a significant impact on reducing the capacity of the system to cope with storm water, a factor in the pollution which accompanied this summer's floods. Like a lot of people, I run my diesel vehicle on a proportion of biodiesel. See Cambridge Biodiesel http://www.cambridgebiodiesel.co.uk/ A lot of waste food used to go to swill feeding pigs, until that was banned overnight in 2001, since when it has supposedly gone to landfill. As you say, imagine if all of this (including from McDonalds) went to produce energy instead... We need to get our act together on AD in UK, as they have in Scandinavia and most of Northern Europe. But that's another discussion... Regards, Peter Fane (Eurinco, European policy consultants on renewable energy and rural development) You refer to Greasecar, but I think McDonalds are planning to use biodiesel, whereas Greasecar markets a conversion system to enable diesel cars to be run on straight vegetable oils (SVO), ie without esterification which makes biodiesel a straight substitute for diesel. In fact a number of firms have been running their diesel fleets on SVO for some years without reported problems - but you wouldn’t get them to admit that publicly because they would be in breach of their vehicles’ warranties.

All modern diesels can be run on biodiesel without further conversion, though vehicle manufacturers are for commercial reasons reluctant to admit this (Citroen now warrant new cars for 30% biodiesel). This gives a substantial reduction in most emissions (- 47% particulates, - 75% PAH compounds - see www.epa.gov/otaq/models,biodsl.htm). The extent to which it is carbon neutral depends on the source of the biodiesel.

Where it comes from recycled cooking oil, as in McDonalds’ case, it is effectively carbon neutral. Where its derived from oil crops the extent of the CO2 savings is disputed, and for some biodiesel produced from imported palm oil it may be argued that the environmental damage of the way it is grown outweighs the CO2 savings.

Its worth noting that a lot of used cooking oil currently goes down the sewers, where it has a significant impact on reducing the capacity of the system to cope with storm water, a factor in the pollution which accompanied this summer’s floods.

Like a lot of people, I run my diesel vehicle on a proportion of biodiesel. See Cambridge Biodiesel http://www.cambridgebiodiesel.co.uk/

A lot of waste food used to go to swill feeding pigs, until that was banned overnight in 2001, since when it has supposedly gone to landfill. As you say, imagine if all of this (including from McDonalds) went to produce energy instead…

We need to get our act together on AD in UK, as they have in Scandinavia and most of Northern Europe. But that’s another discussion…

Regards,

Peter Fane

(Eurinco, European policy consultants on renewable energy and rural development)

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