The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is set to pilot a program to divert used cooking oil from sewers and landfills to produce a higher end-use product. The project is in partnership with Leduc Industrial Inc., a Cranbrook-based business that provides cooking oil collection services for commercial businesses, restaurants and residents in Creston and the surrounding area.
Leduc will collect the recovered cooking oil from the Creston Landfill and convert it into a safe, non-toxic concrete release agent for the construction industry. The program is set to commence March 15, 2025, and will run until October 31, 2025, at which point RDCK Staff will report to the RDCK Board of Directors on its effectiveness and make recommendations on continuing and/or expanding into other areas of the RDCK.
A 2024 survey of both food service businesses and institutions providing commercial food services within the RDCK found only 60% of those surveyed were using cooking oil collection services for disposing of their cooking oil. Some of the barriers to proper disposal were attributed to a lack of storage space and/or the availability of a proper disposal service. It is likely that much of this cooking oil is being dumped with garbage or down the drain, which creates problems such as damage to landfill equipment, sewer system blockages and overflows, and polluting of groundwater and rivers.
Ferdinand Schmidt, the Director of Infrastructure Services for the Town of Creston, agrees this pilot program is beneficial for both the Town of Creston and the RDCK鈥檚 Landfill Operations, and encourages residents to dispose of oil and grease responsibly. “Simple actions, such as recycling cooking oil instead of pouring it down the drain, can significantly protect our wastewater infrastructure and the environment.鈥�
RDCK Resource Recovery Manager, Amy Wilson, feels this program will also benefit solid waste operations. “This program will be a win for everyone. Not only will this oil get a second life as a product for the construction industry, it will also help our landfill operations. Sometimes customers place used cooking oil in with their garbage, and I get there aren鈥檛 a lot of disposal options, but cooking oil can damage equipment and increase fire risk. Add to that greenhouse gases, like methane, which are generated any time an organic waste is landfilled.”