FINDING A WVO SOURCE
From WVO Designs Wiki
Developing a mutually-satisfactory relationship with WVO suppliers is one of the keys to making your experience with vegetable oil fuel a hassle-free one. The caveat however is that good sources may be hard to come by. Restaurants will vary in the amount of oil they produce on a regular basis, and some heavily use their oil so that it’s too contaminated for use as a good fuel. The bottom line is that securing a good source is paramount!
Generally speaking, the process of getting set up with a good source of vegetable oil involves the following:
• Finding potential suppliers
• Testing the oil to ensure it’s of good quality
• Getting approval from the restaurant to take their oil
• Coming to a mutually beneficial agreement
• Setting up your collection containers/process at their place of business
POTENTIAL SUPPLIER LIST
The number of businesses and level of interest in WVO as a fuel has never been higher, making the job of locating oil a lot more difficult. . So whether you become a member of a cooperative, work through online resources, or just go door-to-door, one place you can look for WVO can be biofuel cooperatives. Those wishing to use either straight vegetable oil, or to make biodiesel from vegetable oil, have been enthusiastic about organizing themselves for the purposes of supporting each other’s efforts. Although many of these groups center on making biodiesel from vegetable oil, you may find WVO suppliers for your needs there, so check out these possibilities:
• The Biodiesel Collective Conference (http://www.collectivebiodiesel.org/coops/index.php): This is their site for bodiesel coops located through North America, listed by state/province.
• Fusel (http://www.fusel.com/vegoil_sites.html): Has a good list of vegetable oilrelated communities throughout the country.
• Oiliomap (http://www.oliomap.com/searchbusiness.
php?keyword=&product=vegoil&country=US®ion=&image.x=25&im
age.y=11): Use their interactive map to find vegetable oil resources across the
country.
If you’re unsuccessful with cooperatives, consider making your own map of potential
suppliers. Literally get out a road map for your area, chart a route, and get in your car to
drive the streets. Keep in mind: many WVO enthusiasts claim that the best oil comes
from Asian restaurants where the oil is used minimally. Fast food chains, on the other
hand, in most cases are to be avoided since they often contain a large percentage of
food debris. As you move along, write down names of restaurants that could potentially
have a deep fat fryer, and note addresses and contact information if they’re posted. You
should now have a pretty good list of potential contacts.
MAKING FIRST CONTACT
Next, you’ll want to make an initial contact with each potential supplier to seek
permission to collect a sample of their grease for testing. You can email, phone, or
make an in-person visit (depending on the number you have to visit, of course).
Here are a few of pointers to be aware of:
• Off-hours: If you’re making a phone
call or an in-person visit to potential
suppliers, be sure to call in off-peak
hours to avoid creating frustration for
the owner or manager.
• Be direct: Present clearly what you
want from them, without making
promises about collecting their oil (at
this point).
• Explain your intentions: Be sure to mention all of the good reasons for
collecting and using their WVO: reducing climate change, redirecting waste,
reducing dependency on foreign oil, and producing fuel locally. Also, have a plan
in mind, just in case they ask how often you’d like to make your pick-ups, etc.
• Offer a free alternative: If the restaurant already pays a collection company to
remove their used cooking oil, you may want to peak their interest in your offer by
explaining that you’ll take it away for no charge. This will only be appealing to them if you can collect all of it, but remember not to make any promises at this
point (You have to test for quality first!).
• Enquire about volumes: You’ll need to get an idea of how much oil each
restaurant produces per week/month. More than likely you’ll have several
accounts from which to collect oil, but how much oil you need on a weekly or
monthly basis will determine whether what they have to offer you is sufficient or
not. If they do not produce a lot of waste oil, you may be able to work them into
your collection schedule on a less-frequent basis, but we’ll discuss that more,
later.
• Offer to provide collection containers: The restaurant may already have a
system for collecting their used cooking oil, but if they don’t, offer to provide
containers. *Note: If they clean their fryers while the oil is still hot, plastic
containers won’t work, so keep this in mind when considering your options.
Some restaurants will however return their oil to the “cubies” they recieve their oil
in. These “cubies” are 35 lbs – 4.5 gallon plastic jugs nestled in rectangular
cardboard boxes, just like you will find at warehouse shopping clubs like Costco
or BJs. It may be a good choice for you to just pick up the cubies after they have
refilled them with their waste oil, but understand that if they have room for you to
bring them a 55 gallon drum for collection, this may not only make it easier for
them, and therefore increase the attractiveness of doing business with you, but it
may make it easier for you too, through less frequent pick-up trips. Again, we’ll
delve more into this later on.
Make your list of potential suppliers longer than you ever think you’ll need for your
volume requirements. Inevitably, there will always be some restaurants that don’t want
you to have their oil, some that don’t have good quality oil, some who may already be
supplying another WVO’er, and some whose supply is relatively small.
WRITTEN SOLICITATION – A SAMPLE LETTER
If you’re initially making written contact with potential restaurants, below is a sample
letter that may help. Address your envelope and the letter to the manager, or owner (it’s
important to obtain their actual names), ensuring you note “Re: Removal of Waste Fryer
Oil” to avoid confusion. Always personalize these letters whenever possible.
RE: Removal of Waste Fryer Oil
Dear Business Owner/Manager,
As previously discussed (<include or remove as appropriate), I
am a local resident seeking a source of waste cooking/used fryer
oil. I will be recycling this oil for my personal use as an
alternative fuel.
I would like to remove your waste cooking oil free of charge on a
regularly-scheduled basis that is mutually agreeable. During the
course of removal, I will conduct myself in a professional,
unobtrusive manner. I will also ensure that I remove the oil
cleanly and safely. If any spills do occur, you can rest assured
that they will be cleaned up quickly and thoroughly by me.
I will supply a 55 gallon drum in which you can store your waste
oil until it is full at which time it will be removed by me. Either
party is free to cancel this agreed upon arrangement at any time,
with written notice at least 4 weeks in advance.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my proposal. If you
have any questions or would like to discuss this matter any
further, please contact me on my cell phone at: XXX-XXX-XXXX
or via email at: XXXXXX@address.com.
Thank you. (Don’t forget to Sign it)
EVALUATING SAMPLES FOR QUALITY
Okay, now that
you’ve got a list
of potential
suppliers in
your area, start
to think about
how to narrow
the list, based
on quality.
After all, the
purer the oil
from the beginning, the less work you’ll have to do, to get it ready to burn in your
vehicle.
To gather data about the quality of oil at each potential supplier, your first trip to each
one should be to collect a sample. Remember: it’s best if you’ve already spoken to
someone at the restaurant before collecting a sample.
Not only is this a professional courtesy, it avoids any problems that might arise if they’re
already selling their grease to another collection agency (Be Aware: Siphoning/pumping
oil from a dumpster that’s contracted to another company is considered theft, and it is
punishable by law). Remember, once the oil is put into their container, they legally own
it. The idea is to have the oil put into your container, that is, if in fact it is good quality
oil!
A sample-collection trip might look something like this:
• Getting Collection Materials Together: Gather a variety of collection containers
in which you’ll store samples from each location. We recommend used plastic
one-litre containers (with screw-on lids, of course) from your kitchen, as long as
you’ve got one for each location. (soda bottles work great for this and if you buy
them by the case, you’ll have the perfect sized box to keep them in.)
Regardless, just be sure they’re cleaned well, able to hold at least 200 mL of oil,
and have a good seal between the lid and the container. To ensure you don’t
make a mess in your vehicle during your collection run, you may want to fashion
a collection box, as well. This can be as simple as a plastic bin or a cardboard
box lined with a plastic bag - as long as it can accommodate the sample
containers from each restaurant, and protect your vehicle from spills. Again, the
soda carton scenario is a great one-stop solution: Line it with a plastic trash bag
just in case you develop a leak from one of the containers. Finally, take with you
a felt pen and some masking tape or self-stick labels so you can make note of
where each sample originated.
Label your collection bottles immediately, because with all the bottles being the same, you will not remember which one is which after you get a few samples.
• Dress for Success: This means two things: look your best, but be prepared to
get dirty, too. It’s a fine line, but one you should think about just a bit. On one
hand, you don’t want to approach a restaurant owner for the first time looking like
you just wrestled in the mud with a gorilla. On the other hand, you don’t want to
dirty your good clothes either as you lean against a dumpster or kneel beside a
grease trap. So, a good solution here might be to bring along a pair of coveralls
so you can satisfy both requirements. Remember, the more professional your
appearance, methods and demeanour, the more likely the establishment will
want to work with you, versus the next guy!
• Choose Times Carefully: Again, there are two major factors to take into
consideration when choosing the appropriate times to go on your sample
collection route (factors which will also be in play when you’re making your
regular collection stops, after you’ve secured these accounts). First, go when
vehicular traffic is manageable. If you’re manoeuvring in and out of traffic on busy
streets, this may make for a more difficult experience. Also, don’t go when floor
traffic is very busy for the establishment, either. The last thing they want is
having to deal with another distraction (you) during their busiest times. Out of
consideration for your potential partners, it’s just not a good idea. You may want
to ask what times are best for them, and based upon this feedback pick a
mutually agreeable time, and then stick to it. Remember, reliability is key!
• Make Your Initial Sampling Collection Visits: When you’re at the front door of a restaurant, ask for the owner or manager to whom you previously spoke, and remember to re-introduce yourself (remind them of any previous communications). Then get permission to collect a sample of their oil for testing. Remind them that you won’t be able to make any promises about collecting their oil until after you’ve determined whether or not it is suitable for your purposes. Leave them with your contact information in case they want to get in touch with you in the future, and finally tell them you’ll be in touch with them very soon to discuss things further. Next, you’ll need to evaluate each sample you’ve collected to see which ones are of the highest quality. Here are a few properties to look for in good quality WVO:
• Consistency: You don’t want a solid block of grease—look for something that’s
liquid at room temperature. You can tell the consistency by giving the side of the
container a tap to see how the oil moves. A film on top is not an issue as long as
the oil is liquid, and is not milky.
• Storage: See how their oil is stored, and make note of it. Is it protected from
rainwater and other debris? Is it in a sealed container? How the oil is currently
stored may give you some indication as to how it will be handled after you sign a
contract. Be advised: Changing their bad habits may be rather difficult, and not
worth the headaches.
• Color: The oil can range in color from golden honey, to dark like molasses (it will
depend somewhat on the type of oil they use—peanut, coconut, canola, etc). As
long as it doesn’t have a creamy/milky appearance, it should be of relatively good
quality.
• Clarity: (Ah Yes, Clarity is King!) At 50°F, the oil should appear clear (but not
colorless) (if it’s colder, warm it up to 50°F to get a true test). This is the most
important test, so take your time looking it over. Place some in a clear container
and hold it to the light. You should be able to see through to the other side of
the jar. Sometimes you have to give the oil a day or two to allow particulates to
settle out, after which you can re-test it. Just remember, Clarity is King!
• Scent (and Taste): Try to look for oil with a minimum of odors or flavors as this
will ensure it hasn’t been worked too strenuously (oxidized too much). We
hesitate in mentioning taste, because we certainly DO NOT actually recommend
that you taste the oil, as it could have harmful bacteria in it, but if it has very
strong aeromatics (scents), it might not be worth dealing with. Again, go back to the
clarity check, as clear oil will typically not be overly aeromatic. (We run oil from one
restaurant (a steak house) that is not only very dark in color, but has quite a
distinctive scent to it.) Even when clarity is initially not the greatest, maybe because
the oil was just stirred up a bit, as long as it settles out and assumes good clarity,
scent is secondary. The bottom line is that once you come across some nasty,
rancid oil, you will get an immediate appreciation for good oil, and therefore what is
acceptable, and what isn’t.
You may have to visit between 10 and 15 restaurants in order to get a steady 40
gallon/week supply (more if your needs are greater than this volume, obviously), but
persistence is key. You may also get lucky and find a restaurant right off the bat that
can supply you with 40-50 gallons per week. Secure a few suppliers like this and you
may be able to co-op your oil collection efforts and save yourself a bit of time in the
process.
SECURING THE ACCOUNT
You’ve finally finished all of your research and you’re sure you have some good supplier
options in place. Now what? Well, it’s time to seal the deal. To make it official, arrange a
time to meet with potential suppliers in person. It’s never a bad idea to plan to eat a
meal at the prospective restaurant to demonstrate your commitment to the success of
their business. When you’re done with your meal, ask to speak to the person you’ve
been dealing with until now. Go over the contract (a sample follows) and ask if there are
any final questions. If not, get signatures and make arrangements for a visit to drop off
your collection containers, and to review the details. At this time you want to be sure to
deal with the owner/manager(s), and to make sure that everyone knows that only clear
oil, without any moisture (water), or cleaning solution contamination gets placed in your
collection container, as it will render the oil unusable. Also ask them to let you know
when your container is approaching about 2/3 full, and not to wait until it is completely
full to the brim before contacting you.
You don’t want to have to continually clean up messes because they regularly overfill
your collection container, and if in fact this is happening, you may want to provide them
with a second container/drum, so that it gives you some breathing room with regard to
your collection schedule, before the initial drum is overfilled.
SAMPLE ONE YEAR CONTRACT
Waste Fryer Oil Collection Contract(Date)
(YOUR NAME) agrees to provide the service of waste vegetable oil collection for (NAME of RESTAURANT) at (RESTAURANT ADDRESS)for ONE YEAR from today's date.
The following conditions are understood by both parties. (YOUR NAME) from here on will be referred to as “COLLECTOR”. The (RESTAURANT NAME) will from here on be referred to as RESTAURANT.
1.COLLECTOR WILL gather vegetable waste fryer oil from RESTAURANT at no charge.
2.COLLECTOR WILL endeavor to avoid spills, leaving the collection area clean and tidy. Should spills occur, they will be cleaned up immediately and thoroughly.
3.COLLECTOR WILL provide at least (NUMBER) of (VOLUME) gallon container(s) for collection.
4.COLLECTOR WILL assume all responsibility for the oil once it enters COLLECTOR's drums, EXCEPT for actions of vandalism or nature while still on RESTAURANT’s property.
5.COLLECTOR IS NOT responsible for RESTAURANT staff or the actions of its staff related to the disposal of oil from RESTAURANT’s fryers to COLLECTOR's containers. br>
6.COLLECTOR REQUIRES that all drum covers be kept closed to avoid infiltration of rainwater or wildlife.
7.RESTAURANT WILL assure that collection drums are easily accessible, even if kept in a secured and enclosed location.
8.COLLECTOR WILL empty collection containers when they are near full.
9.COLLECTOR may terminate this contract with a minimum of thirty (30) days written notice.
10.RESTAURANT WILL notify COLLECTOR if drums are tampered with, damaged or become missing.
11. RESTAURANT CAN contact COLLECTOR at any time, especially if drums become unexpectedly over-full and need immediate pick-up.
Inquiries and concerns should be directed to COLLECTOR via cell phone @ XXX-XXX-XXXX or email at XXXX@ address.com.
Signature_______________________
Signature_______________________
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