Donate Restaurant Oil
The Forest Foundation (TFF) is accepting donations of waste vegetable oil from area restaurants as a part of its effort to promote and develop local, alternative, renewable and sustainable energy. Working with Carolina Biofuels and other community alternative energy organizations, we will take the oil, filter and clean it, and use it to make biodiesel to be used to fuel community vehicles, produce heat, and generate electricity.
How does it work? In a nutshell, we will put a fryer oil collection container at your location; then, as your exclusive collector, we will happily come and remove the waste oil. We can also provide you with high-quality cooking oil, help you manage your oil use process, and give you a tax deduction for your donation.
After the oil is donated, it’s purchased by Carolina Biofuels and turned into fuel for local consumption.
We can also arrange to have your trap grease removed – please ask if you’d like more information about this. The information on this page applies to fryer oil only.
Why donate your oil?
- Reduce cost rather than you paying to have the oil removed, we will provide end-of-year, tax deduction forms for your records for the full value of the oil;
- Be a supporter of a local, decentralized energy and sustainable community project. We will provide a window sign and brochures detailing this project and your support of it;
- Using waste oil for local fuel is better than paying a renderer to sell it into the animal feed industry, particularly given the problem of prions and mad-cow disease infecting foods;
- Use higher quality oils, which TFF can supply along with their pick-up service, can improve the taste of your foods and the health of your customers, while also providing a higher-value oil for producing fuel.
Simply displacing diesel fuel with biodiesel will make a huge difference in our community, reducing air pollution and exposure to children that contribute to climate change and asthma. Biofuels can reduce emissions by 70% and are nearly carbon neutral. This is a huge benefit to the Triangle (currently in non-attainment by EPA). Biofuel use will also support more sustainable economies, benefiting farmers who grow oilseed feedstocks, while promoting recycling and keeping energy and money local.
What you need to do
Call us (919-957-1500) to talk about your needs. We’ll set up an appointment for us (or our contractor: Purestream, LLC) to pick up the first batch of oil and leave a collection container for future oil pickups. We’ll also ask you about the type and quantity of oil you’ll have in order to prepare a contract for you.
In addition to the oil container, we’ll provide some information on good ways to let people know that you’re supporting environmental projects and local, sustainable energy production by donating your oil.
Once we have the oil, we’ll test it to determine its quality and to let us know how much processing we’ll have to do before it can be made into biodiesel.
Costs & Tax Deduction
There’s no cost to you. You’re donating used oil to The Forest Foundation. You’ll even get a tax deduction. Some restaurants can achieve a deduction of $5k or more per year, depending on the quantity and quality of the oil.
The amount of your tax deduction depends not only by the amount of oil donated, but also by the quality of the oil. We will be happy to advise and help with this.
Other benefits
We can and will help you improve the management of your oil over time.
Managing your oil is important; the quality of the oil — both before and after a restaurant uses it — affects the biodiesel conversion process (and will have an effect on the value to us, and the value of your tax deduction).
Lease your cooking oil from us
We can also provide fresh vegetable oil for you to use, then collect it when you’re done. This way, we can assure ourselves of the highest quality used oil for making biodiesel fuel, and assure your customers of great-tasting food. In effect, you’d be leasing oil from us.
Lease prices vary by quantity and oil type.