At Univ. of Pa., Helping Turn Kitchen Grease Into Truck Fuel

by KYW's Hadas Kuznits

The University of Pennsylvania will soon be powering some of its diesel vehicles with a unique new type of biofuel.

Laurie Cousart, director of business services at Penn, says the school is partnering with Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel, using the alternative fuel they produce (above right) from trap grease (above left):

"Trap grease is the stuff that comes out of kitchens that you trap so that it doesn't go into the sewer lines. It's a waste product."

Cousart, who oversees the school's kitchens, says there's a lot of waste trap grease that comes from the university:

"We see it as kind of closing the ecological cycle between when you use a product and consume it and it generates waste, and then turn the waste back into something useful."

And while she says the economic gains at this point are minimal, the environmental gains are momentous:

"Right now we don't believe that there's any monetary gain.  I think if it is cost neutral, we'd be satisfied.  But we see this as a good way to use what would just be a waste product."