St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, in partnership with Cleanaway business Scanline, has launched the Vinnies Used Cooking Oil Recycling (VUCOR) scheme, which is open to all restaurants across NSW and will provide funding for Vinnies’ charitable works.
As part of the scheme, Scanline will contribute a charitable rebate to Vinnies for every litre of oil collected, and venues will receive their current waste oil collection rebates. Oil collected through the VUCOR scheme will be processed, recycled, and repurposed into renewable fuel and animal stock feed.
Phil Coyte, executive director of commercial enterprise, retail, and fundraising at St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, said that the scheme has been well received by NSW venues.
“We launched VUCOR in early 2024, and so far the pick up from venues has been really great. We’ve found that many restaurant owners are interested in a cooking oil recycling scheme that also supports good causes in their community, especially at no cost to their venues,” he said.
Some early adopters of the VUCOR scheme include Momento Hospitality, Mary’s, King Clarence of Bentley Group, and Club Five Dock RSL.
Jake Smyth, founding partner and co-owner of Mary’s, is pleased to support Vinnies through the scheme.
“This is truly an innovative idea from Vinnies, and one we are thrilled to be part of. A substantial waste product is being repurposed, and we still receive our rebate, as well as knowing that proceeds from the recycled oil are going to support Vinnies vital programs. It’s a win win win. It is an honour to be a part of such a simple and effective way to support our community,” he said.
For David Clifton, CEO of Momento Hospitality, the decision to join the scheme was both economically and ethically sensible.
“Although our previous oil collection service was performing well and there was no immediate need for change, Vinnies presented us with an opportunity to do more for the community while managing our used oil collection service. This partnership not only made commercial sense but aligning with suppliers who share the company’s values, such as sustainability and community engagement, was a motivating factor to come on board with Vinnies’ initiative,” he said.
Clifton has been pleased with the performance of the scheme thus far.
“The whole system has been streamlined and, with the support of our chefs, we have continuously improved the accuracy of collection timings. The customer service team from Scanline has been excellent in addressing any issues that have arisen. Additionally, Vinnies has kept us informed about how the funding from this initiative benefits the community, reinforcing the positive impact of our participation,” he said.
Vinnies NSW welcomes venues looking to sign up to the VUCOR scheme by changing providers to Scanline, and invites interested parties to contact Michael Hindhaugh at michael.hindhaugh@vinnies.org.au for more information.