Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative Announced

After diligent work for nearly three years, Elemental Impact formalized the Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative (AKG), a proactive approach to a costly cooking by-product, with a four-stage action plan. A formal Ei AKG Initiative launch via a press conference is slated once funding is secured.

To date, focus was on the foodservice operator, the AKG generator, with a solid platform built on cost-savings and environmental rewards. For the Ei AKG Initiative, the focus is educating communities on the municipal cost-savings associated with 1> preventing AKG from flowing into sewer systems post-cleaning and 2> increased fire safety resulting in fewer fire department responses for grease fires.

AKG Overview:

KES image from
Best Sheet Metal, Inc.

Airborne grease and smoke generated as a by-product of kitchen operations are a fire hazard, an environmental concern and costly to clean. Local and national regulations require commercial foodservice operations to install a kitchen exhaust system (KES) that evacuates heat, grease, moisture and smoke from the cooking area. Consisting of a hood, baffle filters, ducts and exhaust fan, the KES is monitored and maintained in accordance with the codes to prevent excessive buildup of grease effluent within the system. 

Grease effluent can accumulate inside the KES rapidly and provide a fuel source in the event of a kitchen fire. Local codes require the frequency of inspections depending on the cooking equipment used and the volume of cooking. Monthly or quarterly required KES inspections are most common and generally result in a system cleaning. 

The current standard practice of KES grease maintenance is reactive in nature: grease builds up within the KES followed by a system cleaning. 

On average a complete KES cleaning uses 350 gallons of water along with toxic cleaning agents necessary to remove grease from the system. In addition, the metal baffle filters are generally cleaned nightly, or at least several times weekly, requiring labor, water and toxic cleaning agents. On average baffle filter cleanings use 40 gallons of water plus toxic cleaning agents. 

AKG accumulated in
KES ducts

Local regulations require foodservice operators to install grease traps | grease interceptors designed to prevent kitchen grease from entering the sewer system. When the KES cleaning is complete, the greasy, toxic cleaning-agent-filled water is deposited into the kitchen sinks or other drains; the traps | interceptors flow capacity is exceeded by up to 12X. Thus, the AKG cleaned from the KES flows into the sewer system where it congeals. 

Beyond the costs incurred by the foodservice operator, the reactive AKG approach is costly to the community and building owners: 

• FOG (fats, oil & grease) - build up in the sewer system and constrict flow, which can cause sewer back-ups into homes and overflow discharges onto streets. One of the main FOG sources is AKG deposited into the sewer system post-KES cleaning. Flushing KES cleaning water into the kitchen drains results in an estimated annual 1.5 billion gallons of toxic, cleaning-agent-laden water flowing into local sewer systems. 
• Grease fires – according to the National Restaurant Association, there are over 7,500 restaurant fires each year, resulting in over $250 million in damages, and over 100 injuries. 
• Roof damage – AKG deposits on the roof after it leaves the KES, causing costly roof damage. 
• Air quality – AKG not deposited within the KES or on the roof flows into the local atmosphere and impacts two of the six EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Ozone (O3) and Particulate Matter. 

A “fatberg” pulled from an Atlanta
sewer drain.
courtesy of  Atlanta Intown article

In her September Intown Atlanta article, Above the Waterline: The Tip of the "Fatberg," Sally Bethea describes how grease and disposable wipes are wreaking costly havoc in Atlanta and beyond sewer systems. Sally quotes a London water official, “If fat is like the mortar, wet wipes are the bricks in fatbergs,” 

Per Sally, the flow of untreated sewage and wastewater that backs up behind these gooey blobs has to go somewhere, so it spews from the pipes through manholes and cracks and spills into nearby creeks.

Ei Partner Ellis Fibre (EF) manufactures a patented, disposable grease filter made from a proprietary blend of sheep's wool. The filter is placed in front of the baffle filters. EF's Grease Lock Filters (GLF) collect over 98% of the kitchen grease particulates before entering the KES. By eliminating grease build-up in the system, the nightly baffle filter cleaning is generally reduced to weekly; the number of third party contracted KES cleanings is significantly reduced. 

AKG deposited on roof
photo courtesy of GLF

Until the patented GLF introduction, there was no cost-effective alternative to reactive kitchen grease management. There are several systems designed to prevent AKG from entering the KES. However, the grease collection devices are metal, require cleaning and allow greasy, toxic cleaning-agent-laden water into the sewer system.  

The Ei AKG Initiative is grounded in a proactive approach to addressing the grease build-up in KES, deposited on the roof and emitted into the atmosphere. By capturing the AKG BEFORE it enters the KES, a myriad of costly impacts are significantly reduced or eliminated. Developing a city-wide AKG template is the main thrust of the Ei Initiative. 

With Atlanta slated to serve as the Ei AKG Initiative Pilot City, the City of Atlanta Office of Sustainability gave the following Statement of Support:

The City of Atlanta, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is pleased to support the Elemental Impact Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative. Grease that is flushed into Atlanta’s sewer system creates significant harm to the City’s sewer pipes, wastewater system and treatment facilities, potentially leading to millions of dollars in equipment damage. In addition, airborne kitchen grease contributes significantly to the number of calls that the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department responds to each year.

Report Cover

As the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Airport Pilot, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) took a leadership role with approval of a campus-wide proactive AKG approach. A campus-wide ATL GLF installation is estimated to reduce water usage by 1.1 million gallons per year and on average save each concessionaire $7,300 per year. A successful metro-wide Ei AKG Initiative would result in an estimated 43.4 million gallons of water-savings for the Atlanta area.

Ei Partner HMSHost participated in the initial AKG Pilot to support the cost-savings report at one of their ATL restaurants. Subsequently, HMSHost executed a contract with GLF for anticipated national implementation. The independent engineers report Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots is downloadable on the AKG Stage 1: Building the Foundation website page.

Prior to embarking on a city-wide AKG template, integrity within the proactive AKG approach was substantiated. Initial action steps fell into four categories: 

1. Fire Safety 
2. Cost-Savings 
3. Metrics Platform 
4. Filter End-of-Life 

The AKG Stage 1 page details the work performed to substantiate the above four categories.

Ei AKG Initiative Stages:

The Ei AKG Initiative Action Plan flows in the following four stages:

• Stage 1: Building the Foundation
• Stage 2: Developing the City-Wide AKG Template
• Stage 3: National Expansion
• Stage 4: Environmental Impact Research

AKG is a cooking byproduct

The work within the Stage 1: Building the Foundation is substantially complete. Once funding is secure, Ei will move forward with the City of Atlanta on developing the City-Wide AKG Template, including a press conference to mark the official launch. A second city will serve as the template replication pilot to support the national expansion plan. 

Although the initial Ei AKG Initiative focus is cost-savings, the environmental impact is the essence. Cost-savings is a strong, immediate motivator for the community and business owners to take action. Via the AKG metrics platform the water, grease and toxic-cleaning agent-savings are available to quantify the long-term environmental impact. 

It is imperative to document the extensive AKG environmental impact with scientific research and educate communities, businesses and citizens on the far-reaching ramifications of current AKG reactive practices. A simple proactive approach is available that makes good business sense for the entire value chain, including the water and soil microbial communities.

Ei AKG Initiative Documentation:

In true Ei style, AKG-related work to date is well-documented in the following blog articles:

• Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity - introduces the importance of addressing water use | toxicity and gives an overview of the GLF system.
• GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution - reintroduces GREASE along with history, future directions and mention of the SFCI Atlanta Airport meeting on grease generated by airport concessionaires.

  

  Ei AKG Team on
  ATL roof

• GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic & environmental promise – delves into the current airborne kitchen grease scenario and how a proactive approach saves water, toxic chemical use, labor and dollars.
• Airborne Kitchen Grease: a simple solution to a costly kitchen by-product introduces the first action steps to developing a city-wide AKG initiative.
• Atlanta Airport Presents a Proactive Approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease announces the American Association of Airport Executives' February | March publication Airport Magazine article, AIRBORNE KITCHEN GREASE: A New Frontier in Sustainability, A simple solution saves tremendous water use, labor and dollars. Co-written by Michael Cheyne, Atlanta Airport director of asset management & sustainability, and Ei founder Holly Elmore, the article is in the Airport Magazine Asset Management department.
• Charlotte opportunities segue into ACTION documents the powerful Ei Charlotte visit. The AKG Initiative was an Ei driver for scheduling the July 2015 Charlotte visit. City, county, state and federal associates made the Charlotte Airport AKG meeting a priority in hectic schedules. The AKG presentation is downloadable on the Ei AKG Initiative page.

The following is a common phrase used to describe Ei initiatives:

Ei is a creator, an incubator.

Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.

Ei brings the possible out of impossible.

Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.

Stay tuned as the Ei AKG Pioneers segue into heroes and bring the possible out of the impossible!

Atlanta Airport Presents a Proactive Approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease

AKG in kitchen exhaust
system ducts

Airborne grease and smoke generated as a cooking by-product are a fire hazard, an environmental concern and costly to clean. Local and national fire safety regulations require commercial foodservice operations to install a kitchen exhaust system to evacuate heat, grease effluent, moisture and smoke from the cooking area. Generally consisting of a hood, baffle filters, ducts and exhaust fan, the kitchen exhaust system must be monitored and maintained in accordance with the codes.

Most kitchen exhaust systems are inspected monthly or quarterly and require a system cleaning due to grease build-up. On average an exhaust system cleaning uses approximately 350 gallons of water along with toxic cleaning agents. In addition, the metal baffle filters are generally cleaned nightly, requiring labor, water and toxic cleaning chemicals. On average 40 gallons of water is used for nightly baffle filter cleaning.

Feb | Mar 2014
Airport Magazine

In the American Association of Airport Executives' February | March publication Airport Magazine article, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) presents a proactive approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG). The AIRBORNE KITCHEN GREASE: A New Frontier in Sustainability, A simple solution saves tremendous water use, labor and dollars article is in the Airport Magazine Asset Management department.

By capturing the AKG before it enters the kitchen exhaust system the nightly baffle filter and entire system cleanings are significantly reduced. Another cost-savings is the reduction in roof repairs & maintenance due to little to no AKG flowing through the kitchen exhaust system.

Elemental Impact Partner Ellis Fibre developed the patented, disposable Grease Lock Filters (GLF) made from a proprietary blend of fire retardant wool. Installed in front of the baffle filters, GLF capture 90 -  95% plus of the AKG before entering the kitchen exhaust system. The filters are easily replaced when filled with grease.

Grease-laden filter
next to a clean filter

The ZWA Blog article, Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity, introduces the foundation of Ei's Water Use | Toxicity Platform along with a GLF overview. Within the Water Use | Toxicity Platform, Ei is creating a Proactive AKG Approach template. In the ZWA Blog article, Airborne Kitchen Grease, a simple solution to a costly kitchen by-product, Ei establishes the four action steps in template development:

1. Fire Safety
2. Cost-Savings
3. Metrics Platform
4. Filter End-of-Life

For a pictorial account of Ei's AKG template development, visit the Ei FB album, Airborne Kitchen Grease, a costly cooking by-product.

In early 2013 HMSHost - ATL participated in a three-restaurant, eight-week pilot to substantiate the cost-savings experienced by the foodservice operator when using GLF. The Water, Chemical, & Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots is downloadable on the Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease page. Impressed with the pilot results, HMSHost installed GLF in additional ATL concessionaire operations. 

Tim Slaney, HMSHost ATL senior director of operations, provided the following quote for the AAAE article:

“We have had great success using the GLF system—it produces energy and cost-savings, and is good for the environment and for us. We are constantly seeking ways to create efficiencies and minimize environmental impact. The GLF system achieves a cleaner system and improves air quality. We use it at several of our restaurants at ATL.”

Ei GREASE Team meets
with ATL associates

In August 2013 the Ei GREASE - Grease Recycling Alternative Solutions for the Environment - Team met with the ATL sustainability, concessionaire and facilities departments to review the GLF pilot report and strategize on action points. 

Enthusiastic about the potential airport | concessionaire roof repair & maintenance, water, labor, and cleaning cost-savings, ATL embarked upon a campus-wide GLF installation business case justification study. If implemented, ATL will be the first airport worldwide to take a proactive AKG stance.

As documented in the AAAE article, a campus-wide GLF installation would save ATL an estimated 1.1 million gallons of water usage annually. Each of the 80+ concessionaires would experience approximately $7,300 in cost-savings per year. In addition, an estimated 42,000 pounds of AKG would not deposit on ATL roofs nor release into the atmosphere.

From an environmental perspective, the water used for cleaning in the current reactive AKG scenario is laden with grease and toxic cleaning agents when released into grease traps or directly into sewer systems. 

Atlanta Air Quality Image
courtesy of Creative Loafing's Bad air days

AKG released into the atmosphere is harmful to air quality and impacts two of the six EPA National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Ground Level Ozone and Particulate Matter. Note the Metro Atlanta area is not in attainment of these two standards. Ei is in the exploration stage to determine if the AKG air quality impact is significant.  

Dan Hennessy, Applebee’s district manager for Southern California, affirms the sound business case for using the GLF system with his testimonial: “After the simple installation of the GLF, our chain quickly began to see savings in labor, water, and exhaust system cleanings. On average, each of the stores uses about 1.5 cases of GLF per month, and saves about $2,000 per year from the ease of use of the Grease Lock filters.” 

Kudos to ATL for taking an industry leadership role with a proactive approach to AKG. Thank you Michael Cheyne, ATL director of sustainability and asset management, for devoting your February | March  AAAE Asset Management Column to AKG. The article was co-written by Michael and Ei founder Holly Elmore with Liza Milagro, ATL senior sustainability planner, and Jordan Salpietra of Ellis Fibre | GLF substantiating the ATL-specific estimates.

Airborne Kitchen Grease is a new sustainability frontier where ALL WIN: the foodservice operator, the facility, the community and the environment. With Industry leaders like HMSHost and the Atlanta Airport - the busiest airport in the world - at the helm, a proactive AKG approach will spread like wild fire, so to speak!

Airborne Kitchen Grease: a simple solution to a costly kitchen by-product

Airborne Kitchen Grease is a by-product
of culinary operations

Elemental Impact's definition of waste expands beyond material | by-products generated in operations to include resources, specifically water. In the ZWA Blog post, Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity, the foundation for Ei’s Water Use | Toxicity Platform is established.

In alignment with an Ei mantra:  Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done, the Ei Team explores areas of significant corporate water consumption where technologies exist to reduce or eliminate water usage. Equipment investment must be offset by water and other cost-savings with a reasonable ROI – return on investment.

The initial focus is on water reduction in areas where the “spent water” released into sewer systems or other waterways is laden with toxic chemicals. Thus, water use and toxicity are addressed in unison. Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG) is a perfect starting point for Water Use | Toxicity initiatives.

ATL Airport concessionaire mgr
Kyle Mastin learning about AKG

Airborne grease and smoke generated as a by-product of kitchen operations are a fire hazard, an environmental concern and costly to clean. Local and national regulations require commercial foodservice operations to install a kitchen exhaust system to evacuate heat, grease effluent, moisture and smoke from the cooking area. Generally consisting of a hood, baffle filters, ducts and exhaust fan, the kitchen exhaust system must be monitored and maintained in accordance with the codes.

Most kitchen exhaust systems are inspected monthly or quarterly and require a system cleaning due to grease build-up. On average an exhaust system cleaning uses approximately 350 gallons of water along with toxic cleaning agents. In addition, the metal baffle filters are generally cleaned nightly, requiring labor, water and toxic cleaning chemicals. On average 40 gallons of water is used for nightly baffle filter cleaning.

Ei Partner Ellis Fibre (EF) manufactures a patented, disposable grease filter that is placed in front of the baffle filters. EF's Grease Lock Filters (GLF) collect 90% plus of the kitchen grease particulates before entering the kitchen exhaust system. By eliminating grease build-up in the system, the nightly baffle filter cleaning is generally reduced to weekly; the number of third party contracted kitchen exhaust system cleanings are often required annually, down from monthly or quarterly.

Installed Grease Lock Filter system

For details on the GLF system, visit the ZWA Blog article, GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic & environmental promise .

To maximize impact, Ei is developing a city-wide AKG initiative. Addressing four key areas is the first step in template creation:

1. Fire Safety
2. Cost-Savings
3. Metrics Platform
4. Filter End-of-Life

Fire Safety:

First and foremost is fire safety. Before GLF approached Ei, fire safety was thoroughly addressed. Made from a patented, proprietary-blend of sheep's wool and other natural fibers, the filter is naturally oil absorbent and flame resistant. The filter composition allows GLF to keep the grease out of the hood and increase restaurant fire safety.

Certified to UL Standard 1046, GLF will not support combustion. Grease collected on the filter may flare-off if excessively heated or subjected to flames; however, when the flame source is removed the filter will self-extinguish and is replaced with a new filter.

GLF is tested, compliant and/or recognized by the following:

Grease accumulation in the
kitchen exhaust system

• Standard UL 1046/ULC-S649 & UL 710 – Flame Exposure & Abnormal Flare-Up Test
• NFPA 96 / IFC – Ventilation Control & Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations
• NSF 2 / ANSI 51 – Food Equipment & Materials-Formulation Review (Sanitation/Toxicology)
• TYCO – World Leader In Fire Suppression Systems
• IMC/UMC - Protects Public Health & Safety For All Building Ventilation Design

With fire safety addressed, the next step is to ensure GLF improves a foodservice operator's bottom line.

Cost-Savings:

To substantiate and quantify the water, labor and toxic chemical savings, Ei joined forces with Compliance Solutions International for a three-restaurant, eight-week GLF system pilot. The Water, Chemical, & Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots prepared by Jay Parikh, CSI president is downloadable on the Ei Airborne Kitchen Grease page.

GLF | HMSHost Team day
before the GLF installation

The comprehensive report documents the impressive water, chemical and labor savings experienced by the participating restaurants. In each case, the restaurant’s bottom line improved by using GLF due to reduced cleaning of the baffle filters and the entire kitchen exhaust system.

In addition to the documented labor, water and chemical savings in the report, the facility experiences reduced fire risk and repairs & maintenance due to less grease accumulation within the exhaust system and the roof ventilation area. The community benefits from reduced emissions due to fewer full-exhaust system cleanings by a third party who travels to the kitchen.

Metrics Platform:

Program success is substantiated by quantifiable data. For the GLF system, measurable success is multi-faceted for the foodservice operator, building owner and the community. 

The foodservice operator experiences cost-savings from reduced third party full-system cleanings, labor for baffle filter cleaning, and water usage. Easily quantified, GLF is building a metrics collection platform that calculates and presents the savings in a simple format for the operator.

In addition to single-operator reports, the platform aggregates savings by companies, territories or whatever other filters are added to the system. The intention is to also track the tremendous water savings for a metro area. 

Later template stages will incorporate roof repair & maintenance savings, lower carbon emission from fewer truck miles driven for cleanings, reduced toxic cleaning agents sent to the sewer systems, and improved community air quality due to reduced grease particulates released into the atmosphere from the exhaust system.

Filter End of Life:

Grease-laden filter next to
new filter

GLF is working with Ei Strategic Ally the Institute for Local Self-Reliance on testing the filters for compostability. Current industry standards | certifications for compostability are designed for foodservice packaging, not filters made primarily of sheep's wool. Based on preliminary trials at composting facilities along with an ingredient review, GLF is confident the filters will meet the yet-to-be-determined compostability tests.

The grease collected by the filters is a potential valuable GLF system by-product. In the next months, extraction tests will determine the value compared with the effort required to remove grease from filters as a usable commodity.

With a scenario where all parties benefit - foodservice operator, facility owners, communities and the environment - Ei is developing a strategic plan for a metro-wide GLF installation. Atlanta is the template pilot city.

SFCI Team @ ATL Airport

As the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Airport Pilot, the Atlanta Airport takes a leading role with a potential campus-wide GLF installation. Ei Partner HMSHost participated in the above reference pilot with Pei Wei in the Atlanta Airport International Terminal. Impressed with GLF performance, HMSHost installed the system in additional Atlanta Airport locations.

An Atlanta Airport campus-wide GLF installation is estimated to reduce water usage by 1.1 million gallons per year and on average save each concessionaire $7,500 per year.  

For GLF installation pictorial recaps at the Atlanta Airport, see the Ei FB albums, 02-20-13 Grease Lock Filter Pilot Tour and 04-17-13 SFCI Team Tour - ATL Airport Int'l Concourse.

Airborne Kitchen Grease is a new frontier in sustainability. Water usage reduction is the first quantifiable step followed by eliminating significant amounts of toxic cleaning agents from entering the sewer system. Final steps address the airborne grease particulates not dispersed into the atmosphere, impacting air quality.

ZWA Blog articles will chronicle action taken, success achieved and how challenges evolve into lessons learned. Within frontiers, pioneers develop the most effective paths and create new standard practices. Kudos to the Atlanta Airport and HMSHost for taking the leadership role as Airborne Kitchen Grease pioneers!

GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic & environmental promise

airborne grease generated in
stove top high heat saute

Airborne grease and smoke generated as a by-product of kitchen operations are a fire hazard, an environmental concern and costly to clean. Local and national regulations require commercial foodservice operations to install a kitchen exhaust system that evacuates heat, grease effluent, moisture and smoke from the cooking area. Consisting of a hood, baffle filters, ducts and exhaust fan, the kitchen exhaust system must be monitored and maintained in accordance with the codes.


Most kitchen exhaust systems are inspected monthly or quarterly and require a system cleaning due to grease build-up. On average an exhaust system cleaning uses approximately 350 gallons of water along with toxic chemicals necessary to remove grease from the system. In addition the metal baffle filters are generally cleaned nightly, requiring labor, water and toxic cleaning chemicals.

GLF collects grease particulates
before they enter the exhaust system

The post-cleaning greasy, toxic water is released through the operator's grease trap or directly into the local sewer system. Either way the toxic chemicals flow into the local water treatment system or directly into waterways.

Elemental Impact Partner Ellis Fibre (EF) manufactures a patented, disposable grease filter that is placed in front of the baffle filters. EF's Grease Lock Filters (GLF) collect 90% plus of the kitchen grease particulates before entering the kitchen exhaust system. By eliminating grease build-up in the system, the nightly baffle filter cleaning is generally reduced to weekly; the number of third party contracted kitchen exhaust system cleanings are significantly reduced.

HMSHost-operated Pei Wei @
ATL Airport participated in pilot

To substantiate and quantify the water, labor and toxic chemical savings, Ei joined forces with Compliance Solutions International for a three-restaurant, eight-week GLF system pilot. The Water, Chemical, & Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots prepared by Jay Parikh, CSI president is available for download on the Ei GREASE - Grease Recycling & Energy Alternative Solutions for the Environment, Water Use | Toxicity and Reference Materials website pages.

Each of the pilot restaurants realized a cost-savings by installing the GLF system and chose to continue using the filters post pilot. Cost-savings were derived from reduced labor hours, fewer third party contracted cleanings, and reduced water usage and sewage treatment charges. The big winner is the local community who benefits from lower commercial water demand and a reduction in toxic chemicals entering the sewer system and|or waterways.

grease build-up on roofs casues
 costly repairs & maintenance

In addition, the GLF approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG) enhances fire safety, reduces roof repairs & maintenance caused by grease accumulation, increases HVAC energy efficiency with cleaner fan blades and other moving parts, and lowers the community's carbon footprint due to fewer cleanings by contracted third party kitchen exhaust system maintenance companies.

As a Sustainable Food Court Initiative Atlanta Airport Pilot team member, Ei Partner HMSHost agreed for Pei Wei, located in the International Terminal, to participate in the pilot. Working closely with the HMSHost team, Kyle Mastin - airport concessionaire manager - was impressed with the GLF pilot results at Pei Wei.

At an Ei | Atlanta Airport meeting last week, Kyle showcased the pilot success with enthusiasm for broader use at the airport. The ZWA Blog post, GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution, introduces the GREASE task force and mentions the airport's interest in assessing the grease generated at the terminal concessionaires along with potential on-site energy options.

GREASE Team @ ATL Airport

In the ZWA Blog post, Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity, Ei set the foundation for launching the Water Usage | Toxicity focus area. Within the post, the GLF system is introduced along with a grease scenario and system overview.


As a proactive solution to AKG, Ei intends to support the widespread use of the GLF in commercial kitchens with a three-tier approach:

1. Installation of GLF systems - goal is to establish a metrics tracking system to quantify the economic and environmental impact for the foodservice operator and the community at-large.
2. Certification of filter compostability - filters are made of lambs wool with no metal; EF intends to pursue the ASTM Standards testing required by BPI in their compostable packaging certification program.
3. Utilization of grease captured in filters - grease is valuable in waste to energy technologies; determine how to best use the grease captured in the filters, whether extracted or within the filters.

GREASE is entering a new industry frontier with Ei leading the charge. Stay tuned as Ei determines the economic benefits, substantiates the environmental stewardship and develops an industry-wide action plan for kitchen exhaust system grease. EXCITING TIMES, indeed!

GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution

G.R.E.A.S.E.

Grease Recycling & Energy Alternative Solutions for the Environment 

When the Zero Waste Zones launched at the acclaimed February 2009 press conference, the collection of spent grease for the local production of biofuel was one of the program's participation criteria. Spent grease is used kitchen fryer oil, often referred to as yellow grease. At the time, meeting the criteria was easy. 

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy had an established grease collection system complete with a retail fueling station for their locally produced biofuel. For an overview of the 2009 SACE biofuel operations, watch the popular CNN video: City Aims for Zero Waste.

In 2010 the Energy Tax Credit renewal was delayed causing strife within a fragile, emerging industry. Most of the Atlanta market biofuel production facilities closed along with the SACE retail station. For Elemental Impact, the scenario revealed the ZWZ Criteria was not grounded in solid economics; the biofuels industry seemed dependent on the Energy Tax Credit for economic sustenance.

Working closely with SACE, Ei launched GREASE - Grease Recycling & Energy Alternative Solutions for the Environment, a task force to address the biofuels criteria viability. First on the agenda was addressing the "local" requirement. With out-of-state options available, Ei expanded local to include facilities within a 500-mile radius.

The spent grease ZWZ Criteria was grounded in highest good use versus landfill diversion. Spent grease is a valuable commodity with foodservice operators receiving rebates for grease collection. Next on the GREASE agenda was to address the final destination; the majority of the spent grease was destined for rendering plants as an ingredient in animal feed.

McKay Johnson of CEB &
Anne Blair of SACE @ opening

To learn first-hand about spent grease destinations, Roy Edwards, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Sustainability Division, and Ei founder Holly Elmore visited the Griffin Industries rendering plant in Ellenwood, GA. The ZWA Blog post, The By-Products of Mass Food Production, is a tour overview.

When the National Restaurant Association purchased the ZWZ in 2012, any revisions to the spent grease program criteria landed in their court. Complete with addressing spent grease destinations, the GREASE task force went into a holding pattern. For details on the NRA ZWA purchase, read the ZWA Blog post, National Restaurant Association Acquires Zero Waste Zones.

In 2012 SACE reopened their Atlanta biofuel retail station in partnership with Clean Energy Biofuels. The ZWA Blog post, Atlanta Retail Biofuel Station Opens, recaps the grand opening and the Ei FB album, 06-21-12 Biodiesel Fueling Station Grand Opening, is a pictorial overview.

grease accumulation in kitchen
exhaust system ducts

Once again working with SACE, GREASE returns to action mode with an expanded grease definition to include the following three types generated in foodservice operations:

• Spent Grease - used grease from fryers, often referred to as yellow grease
• F.O.G - Fats, Oils & Grease - grease collected from grease traps, often referred to as brown grease
• Kitchen Hood Grease - airborne grease accumulated in the exhaust system from kitchen operations

With spent grease addressed, the GREASE Team will focus on FOG and kitchen hood grease. Current destinations are shifting for FOG. Until the recent past, the common FOG destination was direct land application or the landfill. Improved technologies and an expanding biofuels market support "cleaning" FOG with the grease going to biofuel production and food particulates sent for composting or to the landfill.

installed GLS

In the ZWA Blog post, Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity, the importance of addressing kitchen hood grease, along with its related water use and contamination, is introduced. Ei joined forces with Compliance Solutions International for a three-restaurant pilot substantiating the Grease Lock System airborne grease collection success. For pilot details, see the ZWA Blog post, GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic & environmental promise.

Understanding the intrinsic kitchen grease value, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport took the first steps in assessing the types, quantities and current destinations of grease generated at the airport concessionaire operations. In August, SACE and Ei met with an airport team to begin the assessment process. 

GREASE Team @ ATL Airpot

As the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Airport Pilot, the Atlanta Airport is an industry leader in adopting sustainable practices for its food court and restaurant operations. 

In 2011, the Atlanta Airport won a Going Green Airports Award for the groundbreaking compostable packaging provision in the new airport concessionaire contracts. The ZWA Blog post, Atlanta Airport Makes Bold Sustainable Statement, announces the new contract provision and the Atlanta Airport SFCI Pilot Wins National Award post is an overview of the prestigious award.

With GREASE reactivated, the definition of "waste" in zero waste expands beyond traditional recyclable material to include grease generated in commercial foodservice operations. Water usage in commercial operations is another expanded zero waste component. Diversion rates will soon broaden from "diversion to landfill" to sewer systems and other waterways. The Zero Waste Evolution is activated!