SFPUC and Costco partner again for Winter Holiday collection event after
successfully collecting one-ton of grease after Thanksgiving

San Francisco, CA – This holiday season, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and Costco are asking for the “gift of grease” – waste cooking oil and grease that will be recycled into biofuel for the city fleet. The event hopes to build on the success of an earlier collection event that occurred the three days following Thanksgiving where San Franciscans dropped off more than one-ton of used cooking oil. The oil from this event has been fueling SFGreasecycle trucks running on 100% biodiesel used for scheduled free restaurant oil pickups.

The residential collection event and free restaurant pickups of cooking oil are part of the SFPUC’s recently-launched SFGreasecycle program, the nation’s first large municipal city turning fats, oils, and grease into biofuel for the entire municipal fleet, saving residents and businesses money, unclogging City sewers, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Launched only in mid-November, more than 140 restaurants have signed up for the free collection program.

“The overwhelming support from San Francisco residents and restaurants for SFGreasecycle showcases our City’s collective commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable and renewable fuel sources,” says Mayor Gavin Newsom.

San Francisco residents can drop off their used cooking oil in the parking lot of Costco, located at 450 10th Street from Wednesday, December 26th through Sunday, December 30th, during their business hours. Residents are asked to put used cooking oil—free from water, soapsuds and food debris—in leak-proof containers secured with a tight lid.

“Costco is proud to have been able to help San Francisco and our customers by facilitating proper disposal of waste vegetable oil,” said San Francisco Costco Warehouse Manager, Mike Rieke. “We appreciate our customers’ support of this program and look forward to future collaboration with the City to advance the SFGreasecycle efforts.”

Each year, the SFPUC spends $4 million a year on sewer emergencies related to oil and grease blockages. The SFPUC’s SFGreasecycle program is viewed as a savings for its ratepayers by eliminating the source of these grease blockages and a win for San Francisco and environment by recycling a normally discarded waste into a low-emission fuel source. The success of the Thanksgiving event and long-term benefits to San Francisco has prompted the SFPUC to evaluate the possibility of future neighborhood drop-off centers for used cooking oil.

“The SFPUC wants recycling your used cooking oil to be as convenient as going to your neighborhood supermarket,” said SFPUC General Manager Susan Leal. “In addition to offering this upcoming holiday event, the SFPUC is aggressively exploring permanent cooking oil collection centers located in every San Francisco neighborhood.”

San Francisco residents unable to participate in the holiday collection event will be able to drop off their waste vegetable oil for conversion to biodiesel at the Household Waste Drop-Off Center at 501 Tunnel Avenue, during their hours of operation: Thurs–Sat, 8am-4pm. For more information on SFGreasecycle for your home or business, call (415) 695-7366 or visit www.SFGreasecycle.org .