In Cyprus schools, a ‘frying pan movement’ collecting oil for fuel
The initiative enlists children to collect used cooking oil from their homes, which is then filtered and turned into biofuel.
Led by scientists at the AKTI Project and Research Centre, a local environmental NGO, the project aims to teach children that waste can be repurposed.
Here is Xenia Loizidou, chair of AKTI.
What the children learn is that they can take a toxic pollutant and make it fuel for their schools, to implement green infrastructure, to do their gardens, to do a series of very specific green activities, so we want the children to know that waste is not waste, that waste has value.
The profits are divided among participating schools, and children have the chance to decide which green projects to support.
Meanwhile, the collected oil is processed at the KazOil waste management plant, where it is filtered and sold to international markets as biofuel.
Here is KazOil managing director, George Moisi, said:
Cooking oil does have a value and it can be used for multiple purposes and it should not end up in the drainage system.
With millions of liters of used cooking oil thrown away each year, clogging drains and polluting underground water, the project offers a simple yet impactful alternative.
Backed by Cyprus’ Ministry of Education and recognized by the European Commission, it has now become a core part of the national curriculum, engaging over 80,000 students annually.
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In Cyprus schools, a ‘frying pan movement’ collecting oil for fuel, source
