COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT

Project C: Waste Cooking Oil in Brunei

By students: Rufaidah Hj Ibrahim, Hartini Hassim, Safura Dato Seri Setia Hj Lamit and
Jm Qistina Rangga.

Problems:
A large amount of oil is used in Bruneian cooking, as deep frying is a common and
popular method of cooking food. The high fat content of deep-fried food poses a health
risk to the people who consume it, but the residual oil, if improperly disposed of, poses a
completely new problem that does not receive enough publicity. Members of the
Bruneian public are not truly aware of the problems associated with reusing cooking oil
and disposing of waste cooking oil improperly. There are no proper facilities for waste
cooking oil disposal or appropriate enforcement of regulations. Currently, used cooking
oil is primarily disposed down drains, dumped on the ground or in landfills, or donated to
market food vendors. Health problems arise from reusing cooking oil more than once.
Improper disposal of used cooking oil results in the blockage of drains and sewers. In
addition it contributes to the killing of terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal life, like a
silent and invisible oil spill no one is aware of.

Figure 1 & 2. Improper disposal of waste cooking oil into sink or down the drain.
 COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT

Possible solutions:
The collection and recycling of waste cooking oil can be viewed as a business venture
that is currently an unoccupied niche. Facilities could be made for collecting and reusing
the waste oil as car fuel. Alternatively waste cooking oil may be used as raw materials for
products such as soaps and candles.
The Brunei government and the Bruneian people should take responsibility for proper
management of waste cooking oil disposal. The public needs to be informed of adverse
consequences of using used cooking oil and disposing of waste oil improperly. They also
need to be introduced to alternative methods of cooking which are better for their health
and their community.

Actions taken:
Project members wrote a letter to Department of Environment, with proposals for the
establishment of a recycling centre for waste cooking oil either by the government or any
private company. They wrote an opinion page to the press regarding the problems of
using used cooking oil, thus voicing their concerns about the improper disposal of waste
cooking oil and suggestions for proper waste cooking oil disposal. Project members
contacted radio producers to conduct open discussion on how waste cooking oil should
be disposed of. Project members also produced prototype brochure for the Ministry of
Health for distributing to the public (to educate the public on health hazards of using
waste cooking oil in food, on alternatives to cooking oil and cooking methods, on
environmental effects of improper disposal of waste cooking oil and proper disposal tips
of waste cooking oil).
 COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT

Figure 3. Brochure made by the students to promote awareness of waste cooking oil in
Brunei.