Press Room – News Releases
PARKHURST DINING SERVICES RECYCLES SPENT FRYER OIL; SENDS TO FACILITY THAT PRODUCES BIO-DIESEL FUEL, AN ENVIRONMENTALLY HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE
PITTSBURGH, PA, June 10, 2007, -- Parkhurst Dining Services of Pittsburgh, PA, announced that their corporate, campus and cultural dining locations throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, will recycle its spent fryer oil and send to a Pittsburgh-based facility capable of producing bio-diesel fuel for use in vehicles. This is one of several sustainable sourcing programs that Parkhurst developed to protect the environment and expand their role as a socially responsible organization.
According to Nick Camody, Parkhurst COO, the rising price of fuel, environmental concerns, and ominous signs of global warming, has many companies looking for alternatives to petroleum. “We selected Valley Proteins/Carolina By-Products, a company that recycles inedible by-products from the food industry that would otherwise lead to environmental contamination, to remove and recycle our spent fryer oil (Parkhurst only uses trans fat-free canola oil, a healthier alternative) throughout our organization,” says Camody.
As part of its agreement, Valley Proteins/Carolina By-Products will soon deliver the spent fryer oil to a dedicated Pittsburgh-based facility that is capable of producing bio-fuel from the spent oil.
There are many benefits to using bio-diesel fuel including:
- Cost, as little as $2.00 per gallon;
- Significantly lower in EPA registered emissions of carbon monoxide, soot, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and carcinogenic hydrocarbons; and
- Smells better when it burns (like popcorn or onion rings)
Camody adds that the bio-diesel fuel produced from the Parkhurst spent oil will also be designated to farmers that Parkhurst partners with through its FarmSource® program. “Through FarmSource®, we are able to identify and purchase fresh, locally produced foods from some of the finest local farms and growers’ cooperatives in the communities we know and trust. FarmSource® farmers will be able to use bio-diesel fuel in their tractors and other farm diesel-fueled equipment,” says Camody.
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