The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center’s (WPB VAMC) Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) PatriotCafé is flexing its sustainability muscles by implementing a significant waste diversion program. The VCS launched a used cooking oil (UCO) recycling program in January 2012. The PatriotCafé purchases approximately 5,000 pounds of cooking oil annually. Food industry statistics suggest that institutional food service operations can recycle approximately 75% of the cooking oil purchased.This program will also enhance the safety of our VCS food workers by utilizing state of the art cooking oil handling and transport equipment. The new personal protective equipment (PPE) and oil transport caddies will reduce or eliminate instances of food workers coming into direct contact with hot cooking oil and hot commercial kitchen appliances.
VCS will sell the UCO to a vendor chosen to recycle UCO at PatriotCafé locations nationwide.
Other VCS sustainability initiatives are being considered for implementation at the WPB VAMC. We’re reviewing food composting, Pepsi Dream Machine plastic and aluminum beverage container recycling, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. We work constantly to evaluate new eco-friendly programs for implementation. Our goals are to keep our promise to care for Veterans through sustainability and to actively contribute in helping the VA meet or exceed federally mandated waste diversion rates and Green House Gas emission reduction. VCS and other VA sustainability efforts directly increase the amount of waste diverted from Florida landfills. It’s the right thing to do for the Veterans, for Planet Earth, and for future generations.
