Panda Express’ used cooking oil to be collected by Darling, converted into renewable diesel

Darling Ingredients Inc. announced Feb. 21 Panda Restaurant Group Inc. has chosen Darling Ingredients to recycle its used cooking oil into sustainable products, such as cleaner burning renewable diesel.

Darling Ingredients’ restaurant-service brand, DAR PRO Solutions, will collect and recycle used cooking oil from nearly all of the almost 2,400 Panda Express restaurants in the U.S.

“We admire Panda Express’ commitment to sustainability and reducing waste in the communities where it operates and its employees live and work,” said Sandra Dudley, Darling Ingredients’ executive vice president of renewables and U.S. specialty operations. “Used cooking oil is considered one of the most effective renewable diesel feedstocks because of its lower carbon intensity compared to other feedstocks. We’re proud to be part of a solution that diverts waste from landfills while delivering renewable fuel that reduces greenhouse-gas emissions.”

Darling Ingredients’ used cooking oil storage systems provide safe and sustainable methods for storage and seamless collection, streamlining daily restaurant operations.

“Secure handling of used oil is one of our sustainability business priorities at Panda,” said Roger Goldstein, executive director of facilities at Panda Restaurant Group. “We understand that the future of our restaurants can only be as bright as the planet on which they reside, and we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and use of natural resources through a number of efforts including used cooking oil recycling, commercially compostable packaging and energy-efficient buildings.”

Darling Ingredients’ investment in renewable diesel at Diamond Green Diesel continues to grow.

DGD’s newest facility opened in November 2022 in Port Arthur, Texas, with an estimated production of nearly 500 million gallons per year.

When combined with production at its plant in St. Charles, Louisiana, DGD is positioned to produce approximately 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel in 2023, making it the largest renewable diesel producer in the United States.

Darling Ingredients also recently announced its final investment decision in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production at the DGD Port Arthur, Texas, plant.

Upon completion of the project, DGD is expected to be one of the largest SAF manufacturers in the world.