Dickinson College’s Biodiesel Project is a student-run initiative that uses waste vegetable oil from area restaurants to produce a clean-burning, energy-efficient fuel. The project offers Dickinson students hands-on learning experiences in the growing and vital field of renewable energy technology, and provides fuel which powers campus facilities and equipment.
The project is an important aspect of Dickinson’s commitment to sustainable practices. Creating biodiesel from waste makes responsible use of existing waste products while also reducing Dickinson College’s consumption of non-renewable petroleum fuel. Biodiesel use likewise improves air quality in the Cumberland Valley by producing a drastically lower amount of soot, diesel particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other elements that are produced by petroleum diesel.