HOW WE CAN FIX THE HAZARD OF RECYCLED USED COOKING OIL

HOW WE CAN FIX THE HAZARD OF RECYCLED USED COOKING OIL

When we talk about waste management in the Philippines, we usually focus on plastics, electronic waste, or even food waste—but rarely do we talk about used cooking oil. And yet, this forgotten waste product poses serious risks not just to our environment, but also to our health.

The Philippines already has a law—Republic Act No. 6969, otherwise known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990—that classifies used cooking oil as a hazardous substance. To be honest, until I investigated it myself, I didn’t know it was officially considered hazardous. I just knew that improperly disposed cooking oil causes a mess—and that was enough to raise a red flag.

Let’s talk about the environmental risks first. When improperly discarded, used cooking oil can pollute topsoil and seep into groundwater, contaminating aquifers. If poured into drains, it can solidify, clog pipes, and contribute to urban flooding. That’s not just unsanitary; that’s an economic and public safety problem waiting to explode during the next typhoon.

Now here’s where it gets worse: many people aren’t aware that used cooking oil is often illegally collected, filtered, and resold in the black market as “second-hand” cooking oil. Yes, that oil from your favorite food stall could have already been through a fryer several times—and not even by the same vendor. This practice is not only disgusting—it’s downright dangerous. Reheated oil, especially when used repeatedly, becomes carcinogenic. That means we’re eating food laced with cancer-causing agents, and we don’t even know it.

So why does this continue to happen? Because there’s no serious, large-scale system in place to monitor and regulate used cooking oil at the local level. Sure, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) are tasked with overseeing the implementation of RA 6969—but let’s be realistic: with thousands of food establishments across the country, can a single agency handle the load?

That’s why I’m suggesting the formation of a permanent interagency task force, composed of the DENR, EMB, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Here’s how that collaboration could work:

·       DILG can mobilize Local Government Units (LGUs), who can withhold business permits from restaurants and fast-food outlets that violate proper oil disposal rules.

·       DOH can deny sanitary permits to establishments caught using recycled cooking oil for food preparation.

·       DOE can help turn used cooking oil into biodiesel, turning a toxic waste product into a clean energy source.

And it doesn’t have to be a nationwide campaign overnight. We can start small—but smart. I suggest piloting this initiative in self-contained, government-controlled institutions like public schools, hospitals, city halls, prisons, and military camps. These are areas where compliance can be tightly monitored and where any success could be replicated in the private sector later.

If we get this right, we’ll be achieving three goals with one strike:

1.   We help protect the environment by reducing oil-related pollution and drainage issues.

2.   We safeguard public health by eliminating carcinogenic oil from the food supply.

3.   We contribute to energy efficiency by turning used oil into biodiesel and potentially saving millions in fuel costs.

I know how complex this may sound when viewed from a national perspective, but even small interventions can make a big difference. This is a low-hanging fruit that we’ve overlooked for too long. With political will, interagency collaboration, and a bit of innovation, we can turn a dangerous liability into a powerful asset.

Let’s not wait for another health crisis or environmental disaster to act. Let’s do something about it now—while we still can.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

08-08-2025