Ever thought your old vegetable, meat scraps, and waste cooking oil could be used to power a tractor?

Well, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs has found that it can, and is, using scraps of food and meats with a little help from the United States Peace Corps.They have learnt how to transform the old food matter they collect from fast food restaurants into bio-diesel, and they are using it to operate their own tractors.

The clubs' technique was on display at the 55th staging of the Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show in Clarendon yesterday, which this year focused on technology to improve agriculture.

Unlike diesel from petroleum, bio-diesel is more efficient, clean, renewable and deals with better performance. On top of all that, it is a much cheaper source of diesel, costing as much as $30 less per litre than petroleum. It is relatively easy to make, if instructions are followed carefully. The Gleaner was on hand to see just how it was done.

Process

According to trainer Thomas Green and summer employee Lindel Tomlinson, the first step in the process is to measure and heat two litres of oil. The oil is heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit after which it is poured into a blender.

To that, a solution of caustic soda is added to speed up the process and improve the quality of the diesel. It is then blended at low speed for 20 minutes.

After blending the mixture, it is poured into a glass jar and allowed to settle for 12 to 24 hours. The top layer of the mixture, which is the bio-diesel, is then poured into a clean jar - and ready to be used in your engine.

"If we have that (diesel), then we would be able to supply all our own engines," a confident Edith Wiggan, 4-H Clubs field services co-ordinator for the central region told The Gleaner. "We have a lot of land to plough and if we can use that, it will really help us."

All they need now, she says, are sponsors to help drive an education campaign on how meat craps and waste oil can be converted to diesel.

gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com