EATA 

Organizational Vision

Asociacion Pro Ensenanza Agropecuaria de Tres Arroyos (EATA) seeks to promote community and youth awareness of the issue of environmental protection; at the same time, it hopes to provide members with an alternative, environmentally friendly source of energy. One of its projects aims to recycle school frying oil into an environmentally sound biodiesel fuel, thus providing a cheap substitute fuel for diesel engines.

Citizen Base Strategy

EATA conducted a survey to identify potential oil donors in the local community. Then, using funds from donations and fundraising, EATA built a recycling plant. Next, the group found logistical and technical support to establish and operate the biodiesel plant.

Most of the production process is run by groups of supervised students, who actively solicit frying oil donations and seek alliances that will help the program. The biodiesel fuel is mostly used for transportation of children coming to school from remote rural areas, while the surplus is sold to local farmers. As a consequence, the project helps the school reduce its expenditures and accumulate new financial resources at the same time.

In order to obtain frying oil, the school has put together a Used Oil Donor Registry which includes most of the restaurants in Tres Arroyos and neighboring cities as well as corporations, individuals, and even the local mayor’s office.

The strategy protects the environment in two ways: it recycles used non-biodegradable frying oil, preventing it from being discarded improperly, and it produces a reusable, non-contaminating fuel for various commercial activities. Furthermore, the program provides students who participate with valuable training in environmental principles.

Results

• The program produces, on average, over 3000 liters of fuel per month. This fuel is used in tractors, agriculture machinery, and transportation vehicles, mostly of buses that transport kids to school.
• The monthly savings to the schools in the cost of combustible gas is approximately $5000.
• To date, the project has collected around 35,000 liters of oil in order to produce over 20,000 liters of biodiesel fuel.
• To date, 50 donors have emerged to support the project. Five supervisors coordinate the factory itself, and over 100 students work on a rotating basis to oversee the program. In addition, many companies have collaborated to support the project.