Kids and adults love French fries. You can remember how many times you waited impatiently until your mom plated those crispy bits up. But, have you ever asked yourself about what happens to the cooking oil? Have you ever thought the discoloured oil in the chip pan can be re-cycled to solve the energy problem?
Egyptian researcher, Mahitab el-Ramal, made the best use of her cooking oil such that she was dubbed ‘Recycling Champion’ in Germany.
“I have had the idea of recycling oil since 2011 and produce an alternative energy source, in addition to my desire to repair the damage it causes to the environment. But I did not have the qualifications to take this step until 2017,” she told the Egyptian Mail.
The environment researcher takes her hometown, Damietta, as the first station for her initiative.
“First, I studied the market in Damietta to find out what people are doing with used cooking oil. Some of them used it to make soap,” she said.
She collected used cooking oil from homes and restaurants by offering incentives to the people.
“For instance, on our Facebook page, we recommend that restaurants use high-quality cooking oil. We also offer financial incentives for housewives,” she said.
At first, the initiative received mixed reactions.
“Some people were cautious as they believed we were collecting used oil to re-use it for food, which would be unhealthy,” she said.
So, Mahitab launched awareness campaigns.
“We distributed flyers explaining the harm cooking oil did to fish, birds and biological diversity in general,” she said.
After Mahitab finishes collecting oil, she analyses it.
“Depending on the quality of the oil, I decide how it will be re-used. High-quality oil is given to factories to generate bio-diesel, while low-quality can be used for soap. Turning low quality oil into bio-diesel is expensive,” she added.
Since she was a girl, Mahitab loved reading.
“I used to read in the school library because there were very few facilities in my village,” she said.
Mahitab, now in her thirties, graduated in science from Damietta University. She dreamt of studying for her master’s abroad.
Social norms and deeply-rooted traditions were challenges.
“My family was totally against the idea of travelling abroad. At first, I was influenced by their opinions, so I got my master’s from Damietta University in 2011.
“Then, I was appointed as water quality monitor at the Environment Ministry. This was the beginning of my passion for water sciences, re-igniting my dream to get an MSc from abroad.
“However, my family and community’s reactions were still obstacles, but I applied for internship or exchange programmes before going for my master’s.
“I won a scholarship in 2016 and went to Germany. This was the beginning of my bright journey into the world. Then, I got an internship at Cologne University for three months as an assistant researcher,” she said.
Mahitab is the first Egyptian woman to hold a master’s degree in applied aquatic environmental sciences for sustainability from the Delft Institute for Water Science and Environmental Engineering in the Netherlands.
As for becoming the Recycling Champion in Germany, Mahitab said she applied for the competition in 2017 with an idea for a project to recycle waste for families, in which women are the sole breadwinners from different governorates of Egypt.
“This was after the launch of the Oil Recycling Initiative, as I noticed that women are the breadwinners for their families, despite not having a livelihood. The project was presented to a German investor, and I got the title of Recycling Champion,” she said.
Now, Mahitab is planning to do her PhD and expanding her initiative to serve her community.
“I always believe that I deserve to be happy,” she said.
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