Greasezilla, LEND Environmental partner to produce waste-based feedstock in Los Angeles

Downey Ridge Environmental Co., developer of the Greasezilla® fats, oils and grease (FOG) and used cooking oil (UCO) separation and processing system, is partnering with LEND Environmental to accelerate recycling of used cooking oil and grease-trap waste across southern California. The companies will set up additional locations to separate the waste input streams into water, batter, and oils to recover valuable organics for reuse as clean energy. Furthermore, the facilities will contribute to California’s environmental goals by keeping waste out of the public water infrastructure, mitigating landfills, producing renewable energy and repurposing wastewater.

The move follows the 2021 installation of a Greasezilla system at LEND Environmental’s Sylmar, California, location. In addition to ecologically processing FOG into brown-grease feedstock for advanced biofuel production, the company began refining loads of used cooking oil, yielding a premium, low-moisture yellow grease advanced biofuel feedstock. By accepting UCO and FOG from area haulers, the Sylmar facility quickly reached full processing capacity.

As part of the collaboration, Downey Ridge Environmental is deploying a Greasezilla system to Lancaster, California. Projected to go online in the second quarter of this year, the system will double LEND Environmental’s grease-recycling capabilities and expand Greasezilla’s presence in the region. The companies plan to announce additional systems in California in the coming months along with many new sites nationwide.

“Los Angeles County generates an enormous amount of waste oil and greases,” said Louis Downey, owner of LEND Environmental. “With Greasezilla we can separate and recover trapped low-carbon [feedstock] from waste oils while utilizing a small percentage of the very fuel it generates to power the process—a pure example of the circular economy at work. We see tremendous growth potential and are excited to work with Greasezilla to expand our recycling operations in the area.”

Recognized for its ecological FOG-separation process, Greasezilla separates water and batter from commercial grease-trap waste to generate a high-quality, low-moisture brown-grease feedstock. Greasezilla’s ability to remove residual solids and significantly reduce water content also enables the system to refine UCO into a premium, low-moisture yellow-grease feedstock, according to the company. While lower-grade yellow grease is used in animal feed or composted, Greasezilla-refined yellow grease, with a moisture content of less than 1 percent, is considered reactor-ready feedstock for biodiesel and renewable diesel—and can be blended with up to 15 percent brown grease and still retain its premium value.

“Most of our public and commercial customers install Greasezilla to solve their FOG discharge and separation needs, meeting the pressing demand for more FOG-receiving centers nationwide,” said Brian Levine, executive vice president of Downey Ridge Environmental. “LEND Environmental immediately looked beyond FOG separation and saw the advantages of refining UCO with Greasezilla as well. It was a natural progression for our system, and LEND Environmental has proven the efficacy of UCO separation and dewatering deriving a premium-quality output. We can now state confidently that UCO processed with Greasezilla is the fastest, most proficient way to achieve a premium yellow grease commodity output. Greasezilla plans to invest and co-locate with operators across the country to help manage the increased volumes of waste, mitigate landfills and create renewable biomass.”

Los Angeles-based LEND Environmental partners with local restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, casinos, and other industrial kitchens to refine UCO and supply this to producers of biobased diesel.