OTSU, Shiga Pref. (Kyodo) A gas station in Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, has become the main recycling base for the local community as it is manufacturing and selling low-emission biodiesel made from recycled vegetable oil.
The gas station, which also collects more than 10 other types of recyclable materials, is the only one in the country to collect and recycle vegetable oil. It has been flooded with inquiries from people who want to know more about its recycling program.
Aburato Shoji Corp., the station operator, joined a campaign in 2002 to fuel cars with vegetable oil used for tempura. The project was backed by a co-op -- formerly called the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union -- a food producer and a supermarket chain.