Biodiesel By-Products: Further Soap
Daryl Hannah drank it and Sarah Jane Morris goes dumpster diving for it, but what is biodiesel really? According to the National Biodiesel Board (no, we didn’t make that up), biodiesel is a biodegradable, non-toxic, clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources like discarded cooking oil.
For a more comprehensive look at the exciting (yes, we mean it) history and future of this ultimate eco fuel, watch the Sundance smash hit documentary, aptly named FUEL. Then check out EcoStiletto’s own Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, red-carpeting it with filmmaker Josh Tickell at the film’s premiere in L.A.
You may think biodiesel is a resource reserved for drivers of those oh-so-sexy vintage Mercedes Benz and the super groovy tour buses carrying the likes of Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Jack Johnson. But even those of us still saddled with SUVs can reap the benefits of biodiesel, regardless of our rides, with a genius new product.
More on that later. First, let’s talk about how you make biodiesel. The process is basic chemistry, albeit a bit greasy: Simply filter the oil, add methanol, add a lye catalyst, mix it, let it settle, and voila, you’re in business. There are tons of “make your own biofuels” sites out there, but we like this one.
Regardless of how you tweak the process, one of the byproducts is pure, clean glycerin, the basic building block of soap.
Now comes the genius part. After converting their beloved ’84 Benz 300D to run on Biodiesel, the Pasadena, CA based Megan and Marshall Dostal found themselves with a surplus of glycerin. Beauty junkie Megan started tinkering with fragrant oils like bergamot and olive and the gorgeously fragrant, light and sudsy Further Soap was born.
Just don’t try to put it in your car.
