Whole Foods Market, a supermarket chain that focuses on organic and natural products, is saving energy and costs in waste recycling cooking oil. Earlier this month, a test pilot to recycle used cooking oil began in the chain’s Everett, Massachusetts location.

The facility will take the spent canola cooking oil used in the commissary’s industrial fryers and use it to power a generator which will provide almost 100% of the electricity needed for the seventy thousand-square-foot facility. The Everett location is responsible for preparing food to be sold in Whole Foods store throughout the Northeast and Tri-State Region.

The special generator was manufactured by the company Lifecycle Renewables which develops ways for cooking oil to power appliances, lights, and other equipment.

Reusing the canola oil is expected to save Whole Foods’ 20% on its energy bill and waste-disposal fees while keeping more than one thousand gallons of used oil out of landfills. It is believed that this is the first commercial food business in the United States to utilize a wide-scale vegetable oil to energy system. If the pilot is successful, Whole Foods will likely adopt the practice nationwide.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Is cooking oil a part of your business? If so, you might want to consider the options for reusing, recycling, or possibly selling the used oil. It could help to save you disposal fees and reduce your electric bill!