RI restaurant reuses oil to fuel car

TIVERTON, R.I. (WPRI) - A popular Rhode Island restaurant has converted the oil they normally use for cooking into biodiesel fuel to run a car.

For more than 25 years, Evelyn's Drive In Restaurant in Tiverton has been known for their variety of seafood including clams, shrimp and clam cakes. Now, in an effort to be environmentally friendly, they have begun recycling their used frying oil to power a diesel Volkswagen bug.

"It's just important for me to do what I can for the planet," said co-owner Jane Bitto. "...and maybe be an example."

Last summer, Evelyn's teamed up with Newport Biodiesel, a local company, which according to their website , "produces a clean-burning and sustainable fuel from waste vegetable oil collected from over 1000 restaurant partners in the New England area."

"After the restaurants are done with it, we come and pick it up," said Joe Rachko of Newport Biodiesel.

The use of converted vegetable oil to fuel Evelyn's "BIOBUG" not only promotes recycling, but also leaves less of of a footprint than common fossil fuels.

"It's really just a diesel engine," said Evelyn's co-owner, Domenic Bitto. "Any diesel engine will work ...generators, your home heating fuel, you can use biodiesel."

Evelyn's uses biodegradable takeout containers to help the environment as well.