Only 10% of cooking oil used annually by households is properly recycled. The rest ends up as residual waste. SPAR Austria has partnered with E&P UCO-Recycling to offer cooking oil disposal stations at four SPAR and EUROSPAR stores in Vienna. Customer can dispose of used cooking oil in a dedicated collection machine and receive a remuneration of €0.10 per 1 litre. The collected cooking oil is processed into biodiesel.

Austrian households use over 50 million litres of cooking oil every year. Currently, only a small percentage is disposed of properly. The disposal of used cooking oil through the drain and sewer system creates a great burden on the environment as well as considerable sums of follow-up costs for the maintenance and cleaning of sewer systems and repair costs for clogged pipes in households.

In terms of sustainability, used cooking oil is a valuable raw material which can be used for the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel made from used cooking oil is CO2-neutral, and creates less particulate matter pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum diesel does.

The collection machines are developed and operated by E&P UCO-Recycling. This company ensures that the used cooking oil is properly collected and transported to biodiesel production facilities.

Daniela Wimmer from E&P UCO-Recycling said: “We attach great importance to the proper recycling of used cooking oil and the various benefits for the environment and society that go with it.”

“With used cooking oil collection machines in SPAR Supermarkets, it is easier than ever to make a positive contribution to the environment without additional effort. We are delighted to launch this initiative in Vienna with the support of SPAR”, she added.

These recycling stations join a range of instore facilities offered by SPAR Austria to help consumers prioritise sustainability. In January, INTERSPAR Austria announced it was trialling filling stations for organic laundry and dishwashing detergents in two hypermarkets in Vienna and Salzburg.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined with other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company.

With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed SPAR in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy.