Firm recycles restaurant waste oil, turns it into clean-burning biodiesel

Published August 9, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

Matt Crone, 34, is a cook by training. He worked up through the ranks of many Memphis kitchens before attending the New England Culinary Institute. He graduated in 2003, and has since been the chef at several restaurants, most recently Sole in the Westin Downtown.

Crone started teaching at L'Ecole Culinare soon after it opened in Cordova. Because of his background in using local, sustainable and organic products, he soon became the go-to green guy there.

Officially known as the Green Coordinator and the leader of the Green Committee, he got rid of all the polystyrene (Styrofoam), replaced plastic utensils with washable ones, built gardens out of recycled materials, and switched to paper products with recycled content.

One day, Chris Steinmetz, a salesman from Green Earth Options Biofuel, came to the school to see whether it would be interested in selling its used cooking oil to be made into biodiesel fuel. Crone could tell that Steinmetz was new at what he was doing, and decided to help him out. He called all of his restaurant friends, and by the next day had 30 accounts for Steinmetz.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning natural fuel source created from a commodity. "It makes cars run better, has zero emissions, and is biodegradable," Crone said. Biofuel can be used directly in certain vehicles, processed and used in diesel engines, or mixed with petroleum diesel to create a blend for diesel engines.

Restaurants have to dispose properly of their used fat and vegetable oil. A variety of companies can use the waste in manufacturing things like lipstick or fertilizer.

Green Earth Options works to turn it into fuel. The company gives restaurants specially designed containers to store used oil. When the containers are full, GEO empties them and trucks the oil to a local biodiesel plant, which filters it. The grease is also washed with water to remove impurities. Then it is slowly heated to remove the water, and the chemical process is started to turn it into fuel.

"It was my intention to give Chris the connections, because I knew it was the right, green thing to do," says Crone. He saw the potential in the company and, after a restless night, decided to become a part of it. Six months later, he and Steinmetz were equal partners and good friends.

"We're both very green-oriented," says Crone. They quickly learned that they had a lot of other things in common -- they knew many of the same people.

"I'm a tenacious networker," says Crone. "When I see opportunity, I jump on it." He instantly saw the benefit of linking the restaurant industry with the biofuel industry. His experience, travels and extensive network of chef friends gave him the confidence to jump in 100 percent.

Biofuel has successfully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. In its pure form, it can be handled, stored and transported with the same guidelines as vegetable oil.

Crone and Steinmetz basically started with nothing more than an idea and minimal money. "We were working for guys we'd never met," says Crone, referring to CEO Allen Spraggins, who is based in Dallas, and company president Tom DePalo, who is based in Atlanta. "We'd ask for tanks, and they'd send them." They are the ones with their feet on the ground making sure everything gets done. Currently, Crone is spending several days a week in Nashville growing the business.

"In the beginning, our equipment wasn't remotely close to what we needed," says Crone. "But we knew when we could afford it, we would get better stuff."

In less than two years, Crone and Steinmetz have gotten 300 local businesses on board and have expanded their reach into four other states for a total of nearly 1,000 business accounts.

In 2010, they collected 80,000 gallons of grease, 100 percent of which was recycled. Now, they are able to use clean, efficient tanks that were designed especially for them and state-of-the-art "no spill" vacuum systems to transfer the oil from the customers' locations to the plant.

They pride themselves on customer service. "Being a clean company is part of our modus operandi," says Crone. Twice a year, they pressure-wash the pickup area for their accounts free of charge. "It's our goal get to know our clients, stay on top of things, check in often, and stay on a first-name basis," says Crone.

It is also their intention to give back to the businesses that support them. They donate 2 cents of every gallon collected to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and make a quarterly donation to Project Green Fork.

A cook through and through, Crone's ultimate goal is someday to get back in the kitchen. "As soon as I make enough money to sink into a restaurant, I will," he says.