Cairo

- Parliamentarians have warned against the phenomenon of unknown parties buying used edible oils from Egyptians in exchange for money, pointing out that these oils are being reused in unsafe ways, which poses a serious threat to the health of citizens.

Advertisements were spread through electronic applications and social media platforms promoting the purchase of used oils from housewives in exchange for an attractive sum of money or new oil bottles, and received interaction from the target audience.

The prices of used oils vary according to the advertiser, some of which offer to buy a liter of oil for 3 pounds, and sometimes up to 20 pounds (the dollar is about 18.65 pounds).

In parallel, news continues through the local media about the seizure of tons of oils of unknown origin in the possession of persons in preparation for display in the market.

The volume of Egypt's consumption of oil is about 2.4 million tons annually, at a rate of 20 kilograms per person, and about 67% of the country's needs for oils are imported, according to statements by the head of the Oils Division of the Federation of Industries.

However, a recent report issued by the US Department of Agriculture confirmed a rise in Egypt's imports of vegetable oils during the current year, as it recorded about 1.97 million tons, compared to 1.77 million tons last year, while it recorded 1.94 million tons in 2020.

In recent days, we noticed people trespassing with a microphone and buying used oil..and when people warned that they would re-purify it again and sell it in the market, no one would sell it, and people were afraid to participate in this crime. ?

— Bent Masreya Alternative (@BentMasreya4) May 24, 2022

Parliamentary move

With the expansion of the phenomenon of buying used oils, a member of the Defense and National Security Committee in the House of Representatives, Miral Al-Haridi, submitted a request for a briefing addressed to the Ministers of Health, Local Development, Supply and Environment, regarding the recycling of used edible oils, and the health damages resulting from reusing them.

In the request submitted to the House of Representatives, Al-Haridi quoted citizens' complaints about the spread of street vendors aiming to buy used edible oils.

"By research, we have found that a large number of people have recently appeared on the streets, declaring their willingness to buy all kinds of used edible oils at prices ranging between 10 and 15 pounds per kilo, without specifying the reason for their purchase," she added.

The parliamentarian explained that a large number of citizens interacted with offers to buy used oil, pointing to the warning of media reports from unknown factories that recycle oils by using a substance called "oil bleaching earth" or "Indian cement."

"This substance bleaches the used oil's color, restores it to its natural color, and improves its apparent properties, which facilitates the process of reselling it again to fast food stores, fried potato production factories, and citizens in popular markets," she added.

Al-Haridi concluded by warning that these recycled oils pose a threat to the health of citizens, describing them as a hotbed of carcinogenic toxins.

In addition, Parliamentarian Ayman Mohsab submitted a request for a public discussion regarding clarification of the government's policy to support the recycling of edible oils used to produce organic fuels.

He said that the used oil damages the infrastructure, explaining that it causes the drain pipes to clog. As a result of its high viscosity, the draining process slows down and sticks to suspended solids, creating huge blocks inside the pipes.

The Ministry of Environment launched an initiative to urge citizens not to pour used edible oil into drainage basins (Egyptian press)

Mohseb also stressed that the used oil is not biodegradable quickly, which makes the wastewater purification process more complex and more expensive. He continued, "These damages were realized by the Ministry of Environment, so it launched campaigns to collect used edible oil to dispose of it in a safe manner or to reuse it for purposes other than cooking, in exchange for incentives." .

About two years ago, the Ministry of Environment launched an initiative aimed at collecting used cooking oils in homes for environmental purposes, in cooperation with a renewable energy company.

However, what the parliamentarian called the “Bir El Salam” factories, which are used for cooking again, stormed the field of collecting used oil, and demanded strict control of these factories by the concerned authorities.

Government initiative

About two years ago, the Ministry of Environment launched an initiative to urge citizens not to pour used edible oil into sewage basins or to throw it into garbage chains, in exchange for a healthy disposal.

In cooperation with the "Green Pan" service provided by the renewable energy company "Tajdeed", the Ministry of Environment oversees the collection of used oil and then recycles it to produce biofuels as an energy alternative, and other products such as glycerin and soap.

According to the advertisements of "Green Pan" on social media platforms, the used oil is replaced by booking an appointment via the website or the electronic application when collecting a certain number of kilos of oil with promotional wallets, in exchange for 5 liters of used oil, the citizen gets two bottles of new oil with a bottle of liquid Cleaning dishes, and the initiative covers the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Sharqiya, Fayoum and Western.

Egypt's imports of vegetable oils increased this year, recording about 1.97 million tons (Reuters)

Maryam Afifi, the founding member of the Renewable Energy Company, said that used oils are used in the production of biofuels known to reduce carbon emissions, which helps reduce air pollution.

She explained - in televised statements - that Europe is a large market for biofuels, "each liter of diesel contains 20% of biofuels," adding that the company exports all quantities of collected oils after initially treating them inside Egypt.

Afifi warned of unknown parties collecting oils from homes, shops and restaurants, stressing the need to review the licenses issued by the Ministry of Health and Environment before handing over used oils to those authorities.

health risks

For his part, the inspector at the Health Directorate of Beheira Governorate, Muhammad Muqrash, warned against using recycled oils in cooking, as they cause severe damage to the kidneys and heart and negatively affect the efficiency of the immune system.

And he confirmed - in press statements - the spread of the phenomenon of mixing used edible oil with certain substances to get rid of impurities and unpleasant odor through unknown workshops operating without a license.

He added that restaurants that want to save on the price of safe oils are customers of these types of cheap prices, but they are dangerous to health.

Citizens' fear

Through social media platforms, a large number of citizens expressed their fear of the fate of used oils that are being collected by unknown parties in exchange for tempting sums of money, calling on the concerned authorities to intervene and monitor those parties that have become popular recently with the increase in inflation.

Last May, the prices of a number of oils rose by an average of about 23% in the price of one bottle, and government officials considered this to be one of the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war.