Project Detail

Community Based Recycling Programme - Produciton of Biodiesel from Used Vegetable Oil with The Lester Vaughan Secondary School

This project creates a partnership between the grantee, one of the largest but less well known Secondary Schools in Barbados and a small Sole Proprietorship. The student members of the Environmental Club will collect used vegetable oil from their homes and communities, take the used vegetable oil to school where the Club will record the amount brought by each student. The Sole Proprietorship will then collect the oil, sell the PEP bottles in which the oil came, produce biodiesel and glycerine and pay the Environmental Club a sum for the PEP bottles, and for each litre of biodiesel and glycerine sold.

The very simple market study completed during the Planning Grant Phase showed that the demand for biodiesel and glycerine exceeds the supply. The students will also be exposed to business training workshops.

In addition the private sector has donated a Pop Corn Machine and a diesel generator which will be managed by the Environmental Club with the generator running on the biodiesel produced. The funds from the sale of pop corn will go towards environmental projects. A portion of the funds will also go back to the students as an incentive.

By the end of the project the following outcomes are expected:

(i) a more focused environmental club;
(ii) more knowledgeable students and community on recycling;
(iii) a net surplus of income for environmental and community projects;
(iv) greater business acumen and skills among the students; and
(v) the establishment of a platform for upscaling and expanding the project.

So far parents, community members and even private the sector have been attracted to the project as collectors and supplies of used vegetable oil to the students.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:	Counterpart Caribbean @ The Future Centre
Country:	Barbados
Area Of Work:	Biodiversity Climate Change Mitigation
Operational Phase:	Phase 3
Grant Amount:	US$ 20,165.00
Co-Financing Cash:	US$ 38,529.50
Co-Financing in-Kind:	US$ 24,152.00
Project Number:	BAR/OP3/06/06/03
Start Date:	6/2006
End Date:	6/2007
Status:	Satisfactorily Completed

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Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

Both males and females are encouraged to participate. To date there is no significant disparity in participation.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Not Applicable

Capacity - Building Component

The capacity of the Environmental Club will be built during project implementation particularly with respect to business management and how to combine conservation and business principles in a workable formula.

PLANNING_NON_GEF_GRANT

The project has attracted the interest of an American based company which has invested approximately US $30,000.00 in new equipment at the plant. This was an attractive offer for the Sole Proprietor involved in the project and the business was essentially taken over by the Company and the Sole Proprietor became an employee. Kindly note that the decision was made and contracts signed without consultation with SGP. With the takeover by the company the community component of the project became less of a priority. Additionally, the contract between the Company and the Sole Proprietor was very binding with little rights to the Sole proprietor. Subsequently, conflict arose between the two entities and the Sole Proprietor resigned. Due to the binding contract the proprietor is unable to start a similar business in Barbados for a period five years. The individual has since left the country to undertake additional studies. As it relates to our grantee, the NGO is still functional, however with the loss of the technical expertise it was difficult to build on the successes of the project. It is also important to note that the NGO’s officer who managed the project has since left Barbados and returned to their homeland.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will generate income which will be used to cover recurring cost and provide liquid capital for environmental projects.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The students are expected to serve as national promoters of the project and of recycling and renewable energy.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The students will be paid an income for the oil collected to the value of a minimum of pf BDS $0.10 per liter.

Notable Community Participation

There was significant student participation during the project design and parents were also informed and consulted. The Private Sector was consulted as in-kind and cash co-funders. Government support was also secured.

Project sustainability

This project is highly sustainable because it demonstrated how one could give economic value to a waste product and in the process demonstrate climate change mitigation to a country. With the increase in global oil prices the demand for biodiesel far outweighs the supply.

Project Results

Project impact on the Environment of Barbados
A total of 3943 liters of oil has been collected which would have been thrown down sink drains or disposed of in some other non-environmentally friendly manner. A total of 3154 liters of BioDiesel has been produced and has been used to fuel diesel vehicles, resulting in the reduction of approximately 6000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Additionally 592 liters of Glycerin, another by product of converting used vegetable oil to BioDiesel was produced.

Project Beneficiaries
The major project beneficiaries were the students of the Lester Vaughan Secondary School. The school has a role of approximately 1100 students and the environmental club has approximately 15 -20 core members. The students in general have become more environmentally conscious and the Environmental club which was dormant has been revived, meeting regularly and has become more focused. Additionally the overall students have earned an income of BDS $4415.60 (3154 x $1.40/liter) from their collection of used vegetable oil. The school also received the Minister’s Award for the Environment for the project from the Ministry of Youth, Family, Sports and the Environment during the month of June (2008) which is celebrated as Environment Month locally. The project has been highlighted for its innovativeness in the mass media on several occasions.

Upscaling
The project and leverage from GEF SGP was instrumental in securing a loan for the sole proprietor from the Barbados Agency for Micro Enterprise Development in the amount of US $9,626.82.

On completion, the project attracted the interest of an American based company which invested approximately US $30,000.00 in new equipment at the plant. This was an attractive offer for the Sole Proprietor involved in the project and the business was essentially taken over by the Company.Subsequently, conflict arose between the two entities and due to the binding contract the proprietor is unable to undertake similar activities in Barbados for a period five years.

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