Used Cooking Oil Recycling Day at UMECIT Santiago Campus: Environmental and Academic Commitment

The past Saturday, August 9, the Santiago Headquarters of the Metropolitan University of Education, Science and Technology (UMECIT) was the scene of a successful Used Cooking Oil Recycling Day, organized by the students of the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management Administration together with the teachers Esequiel Ábrego and Maylyn Cáceres.

Prior to the collection, the students carried out workshops classroom-by-classroom awareness, educating the university community about the importance of proper management of used cooking oil. In addition to promoting responsible practices, they conducted research on the topic that was presented at the 22nd Research Conference, demonstrating the articulation of research, teaching and extension that characterizes the UMECIT educational model.

The activity was carried out in alliance with AMBISSA, an organization committed to sustainable environmental management. This collaboration reinforces the value of working together with civil society organizations to combine efforts and generate greater impact on environmental protection.

During the day, students, teachers and residents of the area delivered bottles with used oil, managing to collect 174 liters, which prevented contamination of 174 thousand liters of water of our water sources. This impact is significant considering that 1 liter of oil can contaminate up to 1,000 liters of water and that, to lose its polluting capacity, the oil can take up to 15 years to chemically disintegrate.

With this result, UMECIT Santiago Headquarters reaffirms its commitment to the environmental education, the promotion of sustainable habits and the formation of socially and environmentally responsible professionals, demonstrating that small collective actions can generate great changes for our planet.