A Bahraini student has highlighted the environmental risks of disposing of waste cooking oil improperly in a research project conducted as part of her educational programme.
According to the study by teenager Maryam Essa Hassan of Jidhafs Secondary Girl’s School, when heated cooking oil is thrown out without letting it solidify, it causes a wide range of problems, from water pollution to loss of life forms fundamental to the proper functioning of our ecosystem.
The report also highlights the lack of awareness about the issue among the general public.
The 16-year-old student joined the Litter Less Campaign competition last October. She and her team, Oilastic Revive, chose two types of waste to advocate against – plastic and waste cooking oil. They worked on a machine that recycled plastic bottles into PET 3D filament, a polyester-based 3D printing material, and conducted cleaning drives at their school’s premises.
For the current semester, they participated in a competition organised by Young Reporters for the Environment (YRF), in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
“We were given a choice of many topics to work on and I decided to write a report on the harmful effects of waste cooking oil on the environment,” Maryam told the GDN. “I conducted a survey which features respondents from countries including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the US. When asked about the dangers or side effects, the most common response was ‘unsure’, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘no clue’ while a smaller percentage said ‘clogging up sewers’ and ‘affects sea life’.”
The survey revealed that less than 50 per cent of respondents were aware that waste oil causes pollution but the majority of respondents were not following safe disposal measures.
Commenting on the issue, Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies (Derasat) research analyst Sabeka Ismaeel said, “Effective waste management has grown as a key topic among scholars, scientists and policymakers due to its significance in promoting circular economies and sustainability. Notably, it is a cumulative challenge, that is, each and every day action contributes to either solving or worsening the problem. Some objects, such as cooking oil, food waste and e-waste require diligent management processes to prevent adverse impacts on public health or on the environment.
“To address the challenge of unsafe disposal, we must embrace a holistic approach that combines education, innovation and responsible waste management practices. It starts with raising awareness about the far-reaching implications of improper disposal methods, fostering a sense of environmental stewardship among individuals, communities and industries alike.
“Effective solutions lie in the implementation of comprehensive waste management systems that prioritise prevention, reduction and recycling. Investments in research and development are vital to drive innovation in waste management technologies. From advanced recycling processes to the development of biodegradable materials, we must support and promote the adoption of sustainable alternatives across industries.
“Encouraging collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs and policymakers will accelerate the transition towards a circular economy and help mitigate the negative impact of unsafe disposal.”
In the matter of waste cooking oil, Ms Essa has highlighted a range of solutions in her report, from using heated oil to make biofuels to introducing solidifiers.
“Biofuels are a means to repurpose our waste instead of dumping it into the sea,” she added. “We can simply ship off the waste oil to factories that can repurpose it into biofuel, which in turn can be used in heating, transportation and electricity.
“Alternative cooking styles like air fryers that require negligible quantities of oil are also a solution. Users could even gelatinise waste oil before discarding it with store cupboard staples such as baking powder, or other easily available options like the FryAway brand,” she explained.
The GDN previously reported on how reckless flushing of oil, fats and grease (FOG) are clogging up the sewerage systems across Bahrain, leading to a host of other problems such as sewage overflow, back-ups in homes, restriction of the flow of wastewater from houses, choking up of manholes in residential areas, and adverse effects on pumping stations.
A report on the proposal to mandate restaurants and cafés to install grease traps before granting commercial registrations was also published earlier.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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