November 15, 2011 (La Mesa) -- Don’t waste your Thanksgiving leftovers or risk clogging drains to dispose of grease! You can now drop off used cooking oil and grease for recycling at the EDCO Station in La Mesa or four other EDCO recycling buyback centers in the county.
This free service is provided by EDCO and New Leaf Biofuel, both locally-owned companies.
City of La Mesa staff approached EDCO earlier this year to ask the regional waste and recycling company, which serves La Mesa, if they had ever considered adding cooking oil to their growing list of materials which can be dropped-off and recycled at their transfer station located at 8184 Commercial Street in La Mesa’s industrial district.
The recycling of FOG is already required at local restaurants and many services are available to pick-up the material at no cost to the generating business due to the increasing value of waste oil as a source of alternative energy. EDCO Station already accepts electronics and Styrofoam from anyone in the county, in addition to traditional recyclable items such as bottles and cans.
EDCO looked at the feasibility and saw an opportunity, signing up with New Leaf and placing containers at their five local recycling centers. According to EDCO Vice President John Snyder, “We are always looking for ways to increase recycling, expand recycling programs and keep these recoverable materials out of landfills.” Keeping FOG out of the drain is also important because the material leads to clogged pipes and sewer back ups, increasing the cost of maintaining the wastewater system.
The partnership is a win-win for everyone because EDCO is removing a valuable material from landfills, New Leaf is refining it into a biodiesel that can then be sold to commercial customers to run greener diesel fleets and the community is gaining a new recycling resource while getting some cleaner air too.
FOG recycling is available to everyone throughout the county at EDCO’s five buyback centers in La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Fallbrook, San Marcos and Ramona. Simply collect used cooking oil and grease in a leak-proof container, such as a coffee can or jar, and take it in when full. This service is available in La Mesa Monday-Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while days and times at other locations vary. Visit www.cityoflamesa.com/recycling for more info.
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