Smell french fries? At Merrimack College, the scent is coming from a tail pipe, not the cafeteria. The college is using a more eco-friendly blended fuel (cooking oil/diesel) to run a fleet of maintenance vehicles to help the environment and save money for the college.

While watching a TV program on the use of eco-friendly fuel, the director of the Physical Plant Department at Merrimack, Robert Coppola, had a “eureka” moment. “If they can do it, why can’t Merrimack?” Now, the blended fuel is being used in all of Merrimack’s diesel run vehicles – over 20 pieces of machinery, both small and large.

WHY USE BLENDED FUEL?

For Merrimack College, the use of a “greener” blended fuel holds a variety of benefits - environmental, financial, and educational. Typically, the used cooking oil from the college food services is waste – now it’s a reusable resource.

• The blended cooking oil/diesel fuel cuts down on emissions – the college will consume 20% less diesel a year through this project;
• Merrimack’s food service uses 1200 gallons of vegetable oil annually - rather than disposing of the used cooking oil (a costly service), the oil is filtered, then mixed with diesel fuel;
• The college is saving on the cost of diesel (usually 5800 gallons a year), and the fee for waste oil pick-up which equals several thousand dollars a year;
• Most importantly, the use of blended fuel has the campus working together for a global cause - Food services and Physical Plant worked hand-in-hand for months on this project;