Neighbourhood Services

Cleansing

Bio Bus and Cooking Oil Recycling

As part of Stagecoach's Bio Bus launch on 26 th October 2007, an exciting new recycling initiative was launched to East Ayrshire residents – the opportunity to exchange used cooking oil collected from their kitchens, for money off travel vouchers which can then be used on Stagecoach bus services within the Kilmarnock area. Services 1,2,2A,3,4,5,6,7,7A,17,17A,20,101,102 and 103 will all accept the 20p travel vouchers.

The Bio Bus is a UK first, as the vehicles are powered solely by biodiesel which is made entirely from by-products from the food industry - used cooking oil and animal fats (tallow). The cooking oil collected from East Ayrshire residents along with used oils collected from restaurants, chip shops and the like, will be transported to Motherwell based Argent Energy, the company who will produce the biodiesel, used to power the Bio Bus fleet.

To take part in the scheme, residents are required to obtain a cooking oil container, which are available free of charge from either:

•  Stagecoach West Scotland - postcards are available in buses and travel shops, as well as from any East Ayrshire Council Local Office. Fill in your details, return, and Stagecoach will send a container to your home.

•  East Ayrshire Council's Recycling Centre at Western Road , Kilmarnock

•  www.thebiobus.com

Simply take the filled container to the Western Road Recycling Centre, empty it, and collect the money off voucher from East Ayrshire Council's Cleansing Services office (available Monday – Friday during office hours only). Take the empty container back home, and start the process all over again. Please note that as discounted bus travel is available in the Kilmarnock area only, although containers can also be emptied at the Recycling Centre at Garlaff, no travel vouchers are available from this location.

As well as keeping the cost of local bus journeys down, by collecting used cooking oil residents will be helping to recycle even more household waste, thereby diverting waste from ending up in landfill.

In total 8 vehicles will be powered with the biodiesel. Importantly, by using this fuel, Stagecoach anticipate saving over 960 tonnes of CO2 per year, making this form of bus travel exceptionally environmentally friendly.

Look out for the distinctive green Bio Buses as they travel along the Stewarton – Kilmarnock Route ( service 1), and why not help fuel the bus, as East Ayrshire Council, Stagecoach and Argent Energy invite you to “do your part, be bio smart.“