Richmond Restaurant Grease clogging up sewers

[Elder_MMHS]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/03/26/bc-grease.html?ref=rss

Restaurant grease targeted in Vancouver suburb
Last Updated: Monday, March 26, 2007 | 12:02 PM PT
CBC News

Some sewer pipes in Richmond are getting clogged, and officials with the Lower Mainland city's engineering department are blaming restaurant grease.

They're requesting council permission for a bylaw change that will specifically identify the practice as illegal, set a fine for restaurants that get caught and allow for the hiring of a part-time enforcement officer.

The grease problem is worst along busy Number 3 Road, which is lined with hundreds of restaurants, the officials say.

Richmond Coun. Bill McNulty said the grease could cause serious problems.

"There'll be blockage results. There's backup and flooding, and as a result of that, you'll get health impacts."

At one of the city's busiest restaurants, Hon's Wun-Tun House, the kitchen has a grease filter, and its grease is picked up each month by a waste disposal company.

Hon's managing director, Simon Lee, said while it's possible some restaurants are illegally dumping grease, he doubts the city can effectively crack down on the problem.

"They basically have to be there 24 hours, because you never know when they'll be pouring the grease down."

Richmond currently spends more than $300,000 a year cleaning grease from sewer pipes.

Funny and sad all at the same time...

[snipersix]

good thing those aren't ur arteries that are getting clogged up.

[derrick]

Not surprised. Grease disposal costs money. Has anybody thought of starting a business to convert waste grease to biodiesel?

[snipersix]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/how_to_convert.php

[derrick]

Thanks, I already know how to make biodiesel. Smells like french fries!

[bufli]

haha i was lookin @ gettin a jetta for this very reason that woulda smelled lovely lol

[ziegs2020]

I remember a few years back I smelt corn grease, or at least grease that smelt like corn. I had a hell of a time controlling my gag reflex while waiting around with other students. McDonalds grease on the other hand, that was plesent in comparison.

[J. Cheng]

 Has anybody thought of starting a business to convert waste grease to biodiesel?

Too late.  The Diamonds, a local Jewish family, has that market cornered.  Jack Diamond's West Coast Reduction has been collecting grease in Vancouver for decades.  It's been an industry that nobody talks about but I am sure it has been more than profitable for the family way before "recycle" was a trendy word .


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Diamond_(Canadian_businessman)

http://www.wcrl.com/aboutus/our_capabilities.htm

http://www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/1991/1991_JDiamond.htm


Just some interesting information on a local not-so-well-known business and its interesting founder.

Joe

[HeaTransfer]

Rendering is such a gross business, but afaik it's lucrative.  It's basically turning other people's crap into money.

I've visited a few West Coast Reduction facilities for work.  I don't believe I've been in any environment that smells worse.  I guess that's this company's "smell of money". 

[derrick]

Interesting. I had no idea.

[Pennyville]

speaking of biodiesel.. my biology prof told us the other day that VW is going around different schools; promoting with their TDI jetta that they put biodiesel in.

they put meters and stuff in to tell you how much fuel is being consume while driving at different speed/ and at different rev or sth...

they claim that its just a normal TDI with no engine modification but jsut putting biodiesel in.. and it perform really well on fuel consumption.

[silvia_s14a]

Any diesel motor can be converted to run on biodiesel. With such knowledge passing through the interweb, anyone can make a few trips to home depot and lordco and convert their 1980's diesel pickup to run on biodiesel. But if you have watched shows as Dirty Job with Mike Rowe, you would know the effort may not be worth it. By burning biodiesel, your clothes will smell like you just walked into an oriental restaurant with no ventilation.

[vicvic]

hmmmmmmmm... french fries...

[Diddle]

Just two days ago I was driving behind a Land Rover with a BD conversion and it didn't smell at all.  I thought "Hrm, why doesn't this truck smell like diesel?", then I saw the stickers on the side.

I'd do it if I had an old diesel vehicle, but they say it really only pays when you drive longer distances (because of the need to prime on start and flush on stop).

[silvia_s14a]

If it didn't smell, it was probably running on unused vegetable oil or something.

I actually did the math and wanted to make something like this for shit and giggle.
Mazda or Nissan diesel pickup: $500
Parts for conversion: $1,000

Brand new vegetable oil is like $0.75/liter from Costco.
But you look retarded buying 60liters of vegetable oil and spend 20min just to fill it up.

[derrick]

Just two days ago I was driving behind a Land Rover with a BD conversion and it didn't smell at all.  I thought "Hrm, why doesn't this truck smell like diesel?", then I saw the stickers on the side.

I'd do it if I had an old diesel vehicle, but they say it really only pays when you drive longer distances (because of the need to prime on start and flush on stop).

Depends what system you are using. One needs regular diesel for starting and stopping the car, others can run straight biodiesel and start and stop like normal. I like the technology, but it just doesn't take off in North America. I think in parts of Europe, they already have laws mandating that a small percentage of all biodiesel is added to all diesel.

[Diddle]

Interesting.

I watched a show (I think it was on Discovery) about these guys driving across the US using alternative fuels.  The episode I watched they were using a hemp-oil fuel.  Apparently it gives insane mileage and can be used in a diesel engine without any conversions needed... only problems are you need to actually mix it with something (lye + something else?) and then spend the time getting it into your tank.

I'm still excited about the prospect of alternative fuels tho - we've come a long way in the last 5 years and I think there will be big changes at the consumer level within the next 10.

[need4speed]

Why does this not suprise me.......