Brazil converts cooking oil to energy in Bahia
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In Salvador, Brazil, City Hall and Petrobras are working with over 3,500 women vendors to recycle waste palm oil from acarajé, a local fried snack.
The initiative addresses a long-standing pollution problem where discarded oil stained waterways and harmed wildlife. These vendors, known as Baianas, traditionally sell acarajé from stalls throughout the city, and the project incentivizes them to collect and turn in used oil.
City officials offer Baianas 3 Brazilian reais (60 cents) per liter of recycled oil, and sometimes provide soap made from the repurposed material. The program aims to process up to 6 million liters of waste oil annually and convert it into green energy. Palm oil, brought to Bahia state by enslaved Africans in the 1530s, is central to many local dishes beyond acarajé, including moqueca and vatapá.
By offering incentives and licenses, the city hopes to help Baianas operate their businesses more sustainably while cleaning up Salvador’s beaches.
