// faq
HAve ANY QUESTIONS?
Call 778-298-5500 to speak to one of our customer service representatives.
What does Lower Mainland Biodiesel do?
We are a leading company in the collection of used cooking oil for the production, distribution and transportation of biodiesel in Canada. Our professional experience ensures partners and the local community receives clean and efficient oil collection services.
Do I have to sign a contract to become a partner?
We do ask new partners to sign a service agreement, for your protection and ours.
Are there costs involved in joining the program?
No, there are no sign up fees involved. We offer free used oil collection services and we pay you for the oil collected. This program is designed to be WIN:WIN for everyone involved.
Do you only deal with restaurants?
No, we work with caterers, food manufacturers that have waste oil by-product, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and universities. Any facility that has waste oil, we can service.
Does the program have a good environmental record?
Good question! We are committed to a cleaner and greener future through our environmental initiatives. All of the cooking oil we collect is converted into biodiesel. Our procedures ensure we handle the biodiesel to avoid environmental contamination. Many restaurants fail to look at the companies they do business with. We strongly encourage you to look at the environmental records of all your suppliers to ensure that you are aligned with the right type of company.
I eat out often. What are the benefits of frequenting restaurants that take part in your initiative?
Are there costs involved in joining the program?
No, there are no sign up fees involved. We offer free used oil collection services and we pay you for the oil collected. This program is designed to be WIN:WIN for everyone involved.
Why is your program better than my current supplier?
This program pays you for your used frying oil and actively promotes your restaurants to tourists, local customers and social media. Your participation helps local BC communities benefit from access to biofuels that help reduce carbon emissions. No other program has the industry support and participation we have to show the public that your business is helping the environment.
Are you particular about the types of waste oil you accept?
We will accept any vegetable oil as long as it’s non-hydrogenated. Canola oil, corn oil, and multi-vegetable oils are all acceptable and naturally comes non-hydrogenated. Shortenings are mainly hydrogenated and cannot be used for this program.
What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from high free fatty acid feedstock—such as recycled restaurant grease, vegetable oil and cooking oil (lipids), and animal fats (tallow)—to make a cleaner burning diesel. Biodiesel produced from these feedstocks goes through a process called transesterification. This involves reacting the oil with an alcohol (methanol, ethanol) and a catalyst (sodium hydroxide). The resulting chemical reaction produces glycerin and an ester called biodiesel.
How is biodiesel good for the environment?
Biodiesel is non-toxic, biodegradable and produces less air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel. It produces fewer life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and air pollutants, which contribute to climate change and global warming. Our biodiesel is pure B100 made from recyclable waste cooking oil.
What are the benefits?
Environmental: biodiesel helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and air pollutants because it comes from animal or plant biomass with a life cycle of a few years. Economical: the biodiesel industry has contributed significantly to domestic economic growth and helps reduce the amount of non-renewable resources Canada purchases from foreign countries. The industry contributes to regional economic growth by supporting local agriculture producers and industries by using seed oils and residual fats as its raw material. The local production of biodiesel contributes economically to the local communities by delivering a more cost efficient and environmentally friendly solution.
Can I use biodiesel in my vehicle?
Most diesel engines are warranted to run on anywhere between B5 (5% biodiesel) to B20 (20% biodiesel).
Can I use biodiesel year-round?
The government of Canada has subjected biodiesel to a thorough series of on and off road testing. The Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration (ARDD) was Canada’s largest cold-weather study of renewable diesel fuels. This project successfully demonstrated the on-road use of low level renewable diesel blends in a range of Canadian climatic conditions.
Does biodiesel affect fuel consumption?
Biodiesel-powered engines have been shown to deliver similar torque and horsepower as diesel-powered engines. Biodiesel has a higher cetane rating, which can improve starting and reduce smoke emissions.
How will this help my restaurant?
1. Giving public recognition by listing your restaurant as a participant. This encourages your current and future customers to know they are supporting a green friendly restaurant.
2. Paying you for your used oil. You will no longer have to pay out of pocket to dispose of your used cooking oil. We will work with you to beat any competitor’s oil price. Contact us for details.
3. By recycling what is already in the food chain, we are not taking valuable farmland to make bioplants. This helps to keep your food costs down. There is limited land for farming, we are not taking away from farmland to make biofuels. We are looking in the food supply chain and recycling. This is why your participation is important to helping the environment.
Do I have to supply my own container?
No, you do not have to supply your own oil drum or container. We provide them for free. The oil drum and container come with locks to prevent oil theft. You can also opt to be “bin free” and just refill your jibs, jugs or containers that we can take. We have found a recycler for plastic jibs and are happy to provide this service. Please keep in mind we do not accept all plastics, only the containers that the original cooking/frying oils were in.
What are your bin sizes?
We currently have 3 bin sizes we use for collecting the waste oil. Depending on the amount of oil and frequency of pick up, we would place either a 1,300 litre or 200 litre bin. We can customize container bins to suit your business which will stay at your business at all times. Our bins do not use a drainage system, instead we use a suction hose from the top of the container to avoid spills. We do not use a forklift to pick up the bins.
Does my restaurant have to be a member of the BCRFA or ABLE-BC?
No, you do not have to be a member of these organizations to take part in our initiative. Keep in mind these organizations do special marketing campaigns that benefit your restaurant and boost your exposure. We encourage restaurants to join BCRFA and ABLE-BC, because they can help protect and grow your establishment to its fullest potential.
How often will you pick up our used oil?
We will have regularly scheduled service in all of our service areas on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. We will also have a 48 hour emergency notice for pick ups on our regular service routes. If you are not on the service map locations, we can make arrangements for your waste oil pick up.
I am a partner, how can I help?
You play an important part in helping our planet and by frequenting our participating members. There is an easy way you can help: You can help by sharing our program with your fellow restaurant enthusiasts and inviting restaurants to join the program. It’s free to join and we pay them for their used frying oil.