We all know that cooking with too much oil and grease is not good for our bodies, but we may not realise that improper disposal of fats is also bad for the environment.
Instead of tossing oil down the drain or in the rubbish bin, which can cause damage to the sewage system and harm wildlife, you might consider recycling waste oil.
You can do so through the Yan Oi Tong Used Cooking Oil Resources Processing Centre, a social enterprise funded by the 'enhancing self-reliance through district partnership programme' under the Hong Kong government's Home Affairs Department.
Set up in April last year, the centre collects used cooking oil from local restaurants and factories through its 'oil for charity' programme. The collected oil is then converted into bio-diesel and other environmentally friendly products such as soaps and detergents. The centre also provides jobs and training opportunities for unemployed low-skilled workers in the northwest New Territories.
The University of Hong Kong has taken part in the programme by giving the centre its used cooking oil from the campus canteens.
