By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Alabaster leaders are encouraging residents to take advantage of a new city used grease-recycling program as the holiday cooking season ramps up.

In the wake of Thanksgiving, the Alabaster Environmental Services Department recently announced it can accept used large cooking oil jugs used for frying turkeys in the department’s grease recycling exchange stations. Residents can also use an online form to contact the department and schedule a pickup at Cityofalabaster.com/departments/environmental-services/alabaster-bio-diesel-program.

The city is also encouraging residents to visit a grease recycling exchange station or contact the department to pick up an empty jug to store used cooking grease for recycling.

In March, the Alabaster City Council voted to purchase and install a BD65 Biodiesel Processor at Alabaster’s wastewater treatment plant, which is capable of transforming household and restaurant cooking grease into usable biodiesel fuel.

Through the city’s grease-recycling program, Alabaster has made free plastic jugs available to all city residents for the past year. Residents can then use the plastic jugs to collect used cooking grease before dropping off full containers and picking up new containers at several collection points around the city.

After collecting used cooking grease, Alabaster Environmental Services employees place it into the processor, which heats the grease up to 115 degrees. Employees then add methanol and potassium hydroxide to the mix before the substance is filtered and eventually transformed into biodiesel.

Exchange stations are now available at The View apartments, Alabaster Fire Station No. 3, the Foodland grocery store, the Chevron gas station on Alabama 119, Fox Valley apartments, Fire Station No. 2, the Environmental Services facility on U.S. 31, Fire Station No. 1 and at the new Walmart Neighborhood Market near the intersection of Alabama 119 and Fulton Springs Road.

Alabaster City Manager George Henry said the grease recycling program benefits the city and its residents because it helps to keep grease out of the city’s sewer system, which in turn can lead to lower rates.

In May, Environmental Services employees also converted one of the city’s tractors to successfully run on 100-percent biodiesel they created by using recycled grease.