Kedungkandang (malangkota.go.id) – Used cooking oil or what we usually call used cooking oil is often considered as household waste that is no longer useful. However, even though it is considered as waste, it turns out that used cooking oil has economic value. This used cooking oil can be processed into various products that have benefits, such as soap, candles, and biodiesel.
In Malang City, there are many places that collect used cooking oil. One of them is PALiM Eco Friendly located on Jalan Kolonel Sugiono No. 227, Mergosono Village, Kedungkandang District, Malang City. In this place, every liter of used cooking oil deposited by the community is compensated with Rp5.000,00 (current price). Not only the used cooking oil, even the dregs and leftover fried food are worth rupiah, because they can be used for animal feed. Not only generating rupiah, the presence of containers such as PALiM Eco Friendly This is able to reduce cooking oil waste in the community environment and avoid environmental pollution.
initiator PALiM Eco Friendly, Hari Suprayitno revealed that the used cooking oil collected did not only come from Malang City, but also from outside the city in East Java, such as Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik, Pasuruan, and Pandaan. Existing since 2017, PALiM Eco Friendly Every day we are able to collect hundreds of liters of used cooking oil.
"In our case, we can collect up to 500 liters a day. Not only from restaurants or hotels, we also take from housewives, and we have no restrictions, we can take or deposit any amount here. Then, this used cooking oil is exported to the Netherlands to be processed into biodiesel. For the export process, we cooperate with a factory in the Turen area," said Hari when met at his office, Thursday (6/2/2025).
Hari also said that initially this business was labeled Green Cycle. Over time, Hari changed the name to PaLim which is an acronym for 'Waste Hero'. "This is also an invitation for the community to be more environmentally friendly and process waste properly. So we think using the name PALiM is more appropriate," he said frankly.
Not just earning money, through this business Hari also wants to invite the community to maintain nature so that it remains sustainable, namely by not throwing away used oil carelessly. That is why, on various occasions Hari also holds socialization to community groups such as PKK or when there are community gatherings. Hari also never tires of continuing to educate the community to take part in becoming heroes for their environment.
"Often we just throw away used cooking oil directly into the drain, sink, even into the ground or river. But this has a bad impact on the environment. It's easy, we usually throw it into the sink, well, over time the oil can solidify and clog the drain. In the river, the oil is positioned above the water, it can block sunlight from entering, the effect is that fish or aquatic plants can die," he said educating.
Together with his team, Hari educates the public that used cooking oil can be processed into various useful items. "Because many people are worried that the used cooking oil we collect will be processed into bulk cooking oil. Yes, there are still practices like that, but they are done by individuals. But we socialize what used cooking oil is like, what it can be processed into, what the dangers are. So the public knows and is also careful in choosing a collection place," he concluded. (ari/yn)
