Local Community Recycles…Reaps Rewards

By Jere Hough Meteorologist / Feature Reporter

Published: Mon, May 28, 2007 - 6:05 am
Last Updated: Wed, June 25, 2008 - 4:23 pm

Jere Hough

Caroline McElroy is eleven years old. One of her hobbies is making soap. And she's really good at it. She grabs a small jar and says, "I'm going to put some color in it."

She has also added perfume. "I think what's here right now is cucumber-melon."

She makes a lot of the small, brightly colored soaps, and gives them all away...because the basic ingredient, solidified glyercin, is free!

Actually, the people of Daphne, Alabama, supply it when they recycle their cooking oil at one of these eighteen jug bins scattered around the area. They just drop off a full jug and pick up an empty one. And not just for the soap. There is a big payoff.

Rob McElroy, P.E., General Manager of Daphne Utilities says, "We started the recycling program about two years ago. And it was an effort to address the sewer spills that we were having in Daphne and the surrounding area."

Liquid cooking oils, melted shortening, butter sauce don't belong down the drain.

McElroy says, "When it gets into the cool sewer pipies it solidifies, it gets sticky, it gets thick, and it sticks to the side of a sewer pipe...I'm very proud of the people of Daphne...We get in anywhere between four- and six-hundred gallons every month of oil that people turn in to us one gallon at a time in one of these recycling jugs."

McElroy reports sewage spills are down 40% since the recycle program began...all that plus the soap...a win-win situation. Make that a win, win, WIN situation:

A Daphne Utilites Truck is fueling up with bio-diesel.

McElroy explains, "We had been talking to a person about making bio-diesel fuel. And he said, 'Oh, yeah, this used cooking oil is some of the best stuff you can make bio-diesel out of, and the best thing is, it's free...We played around and started a few things and built a little biodiesel plant down at our treatment facility and found that we were capable of making biodiesel fuels for about a dollar a gallon!"

They even used recycled propane tanks to build their bio-diesel processer!

A quart jar displays both the fuel and the byproduct. The clear liquid is the fuel...and the dark brown liquid at the bottom is the glycerin that becomes the soap!

Jere Hough is standing by one of the jug exchange bins holding two pieces of Caroline's soap in the shape of animals. "It's amazing isn't it...a purple turtle and a pink fish, helping to turn an entire community...green. On County Road 5 in Daphne, Alabama, I'm Jere Hough, News 5."

DAPHNE UTILITIES HAS WON LOCAL AND STATE AWARDS FOR THEIR PROGRAM...INCLUDING A GRANT TO TAKE THEIR STORY ON THE ROAD TO OTHER ALABAMA COMMUNITIES.

Daphne Utilities has won local and state awards for their program, including a grant to take their story on the road to other Alabama communities.

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