Missouri Campus Implements Second Use For Cooking Oil

Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO has announced several environmental initiatives at its 328-acre campus. With a student body of about 10,000 (about 90% undergrad), Southeast’s increased focus on sustainability will make a difference in the region.

Kent Library at Southeast Missouri State University.
Kent Library at Southeast Missouri State University.

One of the measures announced by the facility management (FM) department there is a plan to use the waste oil from dining hall kitchens to heat the FM shops.

Yesterday’s edition (3/12/09) of The Arrow, Southeast’s campus paper, ran a story on the initiatives:

Facilities management is making some major changes in order to save Southeast Missouri State money, as well as to help save the environment. Some of these changes include a recycling plan, energy-efficient vehicles and waste management.

Facilities management devised a plan to use the oil that dining hall kitchens would normally dispose of. The 55-gallon barrels of oil are now burned to heat the facilities management shops, through a waste-oil heater that was purchased by Southeast. Over spring break, facilities management plans to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles that will use E85, rather than gasoline.

“We plan on purchasing two vehicles from Tiger Trucks,” Terry Major, manager of grounds, custodial, fleet and support services, said. “We want a pick-up truck for the grounds and a van for maintenance.”

Read the rest of the article here…