I am thinking of starting out to collect some WVO from private citizens in small quanities for making fuel...what is a reasonable price per gallon to pay for it?

 

Free is the best price, after all your doing them a favor.

 

Yea, You are right about that...may be I'll aproach it like that-a favor-I don't think most folks have any idea that we can make fuel from their old vo.

 

You should charge them a small disposal fee. 20 cents a gallon.
If they don't know you use it for fuel then what do they believe you are hauling it away for free for? ****s and giggle? Women's Grease Wrestling?
If you charge a very small amount then you've implied your benefit, and you appear to be a legit disposal company. Someone looking to provide a free service to me at their own expense always raises a flag. It says that there is an underlying benefit that I must not know about if this "company" is willing to haul my "trash" off-site for free.

 

I've got restaurants that GIVE me free meals for collecting their oil! I've been making bio for over 5 years and have never paid for my oil. I have a relationship with every restaurant I haul from, (42 and growing...). I offer them better service than the commercial waste haulers that were CHARGING them. Be prompt, keep the area clean, and offer them a service they can't get anywhere else.

I've even had other "biodieselers" try and buy oil from my restaurants. Not one have I lost!

 

Don I get the same offer of free meals from the restraunts and bar I collect from.

 

Ya, it's a kick to take somebody with me that hasn't been on a run before, and have a restaurant owner offer to buy lunch for us.

 

I have a friend with a restaurant and his renderer was willing to pay him $.20 a gallon so I started paying him that. At least it's clean (dumped weekly) and stable. They dump it directly into my drum after they filter it.
Sure is quiet on this forum lately. Must be the price of diesel
Tom

 

Hey Don.
I have 50 gal glycerol I need to remove the methanol from. I have a gas burner (turkey fryer) that I can put under the drum or I have a oven element I could rig to the bottom if you think the open flame is too dangerous. When you installed your element under your drum, what did you use to insulate the back side of the element. I used fiberglass insulation but I'm not crazy about the installation.
Good to see you are hanging in there on the forum.
Tom

 

Good to hear from ya Tom! I built a small metal "can" that I enclosed the element in and insulated it with the ceramic insulation that was in the walls of the oven I scrapped out. I myself would not use an open flame anywhere around any of this equipment!

I've picked up quite a few new restaurants since the price of dino-diesel went down. A lot of guys that got into it when diesel was $5/gal quit when the price went down. Once the price goes back up ( and it will!) these people will not have a supply of oil anymore.....................

 

Thanks Don. This will be my first batch of recovering methanol the "old slow" way. Still want to fine tune your method and get it going. I will try this and be sure the condenser is working right.
Tom

 

I'm completely upfront with all my oil supliers and would never suggest that you "appear to be" anything your not. I've just started my collection service over the past 6 months and I'm praised for the free service I provide. I always offer to pay for oil collected and not one resturaunt has accepted payment. Other collectors in the area have hit on my clients , offering to pay, and I haven't lost any either. Honesty goes a long ways in the customer service business wether your collecting oil or selling hamburgers.