PITTSBURGH Parkhurst Dining Services said it is recycling the trans-fat-free oil used at its corporate, campus and cultural contract-dining accounts to generate bio-diesel fuel for company-owned vehicles and farm equipment used by suppliers.
According to chief executive Nick Camody, the rising price of fuel and concerns about the environment prompted the new initiative. The foodservice contractor uses an outside company to recycle the oil. The resulting bio fuel powers the vehicles at a lower per-gallon cost than gasoline, and also results in lower carbon monoxide emissions, Parkhurst said.
Camody said the fuel also leaves a better smell in the air — like popcorn or onion rings.
Parkhurst, in business for more than 50 years, is also involved in such sustainable initiatives as providing cage-free eggs upon client request; purchasing antibiotic- and hormone-free meats, poultry, dairy and seafood; and refusing to purchase products of cloned farm animals and their offspring. The company also follows the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines on sustainable seafood purchasing.
