Quantitative assessment of the valorisation of used cooking oils in 23 countries

The article quantifies, in a set of 23 countries, the amounts consumed of vegetable oils, the amounts of used oils produced after cooking, the amounts available for valorisation, and finally the quantities being valorised. The management practices adopted are also reviewed. Based on data collected, a production factor, relating vegetable oil consumption with used cooking oil production, of 0.32 is proposed. The valorisation factor, which quantifies the fraction of UCO being valorised, is higher in better performing countries (0.749) and worst in the remaining (0.232). Three consumption-valorisation factors, relating consumption with valorisation, were obtained: for high performing countries (0.274); intermediate performing (0.105); and under-performing (0.078). The management systems adopted by the different countries are based on either second-generation economic instruments (USA and Brazil), or on third-generation economic instruments (EU, Argentina, Japan). The former has allowed countries to attain better valorisation rates.