Video: This biodiesel plant sits in your kitchen

I love eating bacon, but hate making it. Not only does that smell seem to permeate every inch of the house for hours after, but there’s always the question of what to do with the leftover grease.

Pouring it down the drain is a plumbing no-no, while sneaking outside to dump it in the alley invites unwanted pests (and is just gross). Recycling this and other leftover fats is ideal, but few of us have the technology for that sitting next to the coffee maker. But that’s about to change.

The BioBot 20 is a small, portable waste oil processor designed to be used on a table top or work bench. It’s capable of converting used kitchen oils into environmentally-friendly fuel that can then be used to power your biodiesel-ready car rather than clog your drain. Suddenly, bacon has taken on an entirely new luster.

Created by a UK company of the same name, the BioBot features a compact shape and relatively easy operation. After pouring the waste oil in (any type of cooking oil is fine, but the company strongly advises against using palm oil), there is a period of heating, agitating, mixing in of methoxide, draining of glycerine, a wet or dry wash of the biodiesel, and then voila! You’re ready to put the biodiesel in your car.

Thanks to BioBot’s unique Accelerated Reaction Technology (ART) long reaction/settling periods, and the device is capable of producing up to 20 liters of biodiesel every 12-24 hours, provided you’ve got a reliable supply of waste oil.

Although you certainly have to account for time spent, this method of producing biodiesel at home is likely to save a significant amount of money over commercial biodiesel, and certainly gasoline.

Beth Buczynski, EarthTechling