Did you ever think about where all the oil from all the French fries in the city goes? I did!
I was at home, hovering over a pot of deep-frying, golden-brown chicken wings, destined to be paired with my absolute favourite blue cheese dip from St. Lawrence Market. I love chicken wings (especially with that blue cheese dip!). And baked or bbq’d are fine, but if we are honest, deep frying makes the ultimate chicken wing. The thing is, I hate the messy process of frying—but a craving is a craving. Thus, I shall fry.
But after the wings were enjoyed, reality hit. How on Earth am I supposed to deal with this ocean of leftover oil? Sure, I can cool it, then funnel it into a humongous glass jar to maybe reuse a couple of times. But then, what? That weekend, I fell down a rabbit hole of concern thinking about all the restaurants serving up Canadian staples—fried chicken, burgers, and (goodness, help our Mother Earth) our beloved poutine!
I decided to geek out and look into the environmental impact of leftover cooking oil and how Canada is handling the dilemma. Like a typical millennial, I scoured Google and poked Gemini and ChatGPT for the hard facts. Here is what I gathered:
The “Oily” Facts:
- The Burger Reign: Skip (the Dishes) published a report in November 2025 showing that burgers remain the supreme choice, ranking as the #1 most ordered cuisine in Canada. Meanwhile, Frenchfrench fries and poutine (oil, oil, and more oil!) held the #4 and #5 spots.
- (Source: Skip 2025 National Orders Report)
- The Volume: According to the IMARC Group, Canada’s used cooking oil (UCO) market is massive. The country generates between 120,000 and 135,000 tonnes of UCO annually. This is largely driven by a foodservice sector that was valued at roughly $120 billion in 2024.
- The Second Life: More oil produced means more supply for biofuelbio-fuel. Approximately 80% of Canada’s collected UCO is redirected to create biodiesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
- (Source: IMARC Group Canada UCO Market Report)
Everyone claims to be “sustainable”—but to what extent?
Things get tricky when you dig into the world of sustainability. It’s a spectrum that runs from something as basic as recycling oil to topics as heavy as nuclear energy. Any company can slap a “sustainable” label on their website, but some might focus on water pollution while ignoring air degradation. It’s like my mother always said: people often choose one “sin” while trying to be good on the other side.
But I stumbled upon a company that has been quietly doing the real work for humanity since 2008. They deserve a much louder voice in the digital space, so let’s talk about Green Planet Bio-Fuels (GPBF).
Green PlanetPBF is a family-run business that helps restaurants and kitchens get rid of messy old cooking oil and grease trap waste responsibly. Instead of letting that gunk clog sewers or rot in landfills, they collect it and turn it into renewable fuel for trucks and planes. They basically take the kitchen waste nobody wants and recycle it into green energy. Just imagine: the oil I used for my chicken wings could eventually help fly a plane thousands of miles away. Wings for wings, eh?
Why is Green Planet Bio-Fuels so “Green”?
The story started with founder and chef-turned-entrepreneur Steve Hyman. His journey began in Toronto’s top kitchens, but a DIY experiment—converting cooking oil into fuel for his own car—changed everything. In 2008, that spark became Green PlanetPBF. Today, they help thousands of North American businesses turn a pollutant into a low-carbon resource.
The Receipts of an Honest, Quiet Work:
- Certified B-Corp: They are a Certified B-Corporation, meaning they legally prioritize environmental and social impact alongside making a profit.
- ISCC Certified: This means they meet strict International Sustainability and Carbon Certification standards for traceability. You know exactly where the oil came from and where it’s going.
- The Impact: GPBF has prevented the release of over 138,000 tonnes of $CO_2$ equivalent (the measurement used to track total climate impact). That is the same as the carbon absorbed by 6.3 million mature trees in a year.
- Powering Homes: By diverting 50 million litres of oil from landfills and waterways, they’ve recovered enough energy to power 17,000 Canadian homes for a year.
Aside from how technology has helped us become more environmentally responsible, GPBF has been quietly working to provide the eco-friendly solutions we need to keep today’s advancements moving—like making sure that flying a plane or driving a truck doesn’t have to be a burden on Mother Earth. There is something truly heroic about a company that cares more about doing great work than being recognized for it.
So, the next time you havethink about your leftover oil, remember there’s Green Planet Bio-Fuels,. They are wholeheartedly renewing that waste to provide you and your community with cleaner, safer energy for all.
