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A group of Florida teenagers recently took an unconventional road trip to Canada – fueled by nothing but fast-food grease.
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Introduction
Aspiring young chefs from across Florida recently made the trip up to Canada to compete in a prestigious cooking competition. But they didn’t come empty handed – they brought along some precious cargo: used fast food grease.
The Florida teens traveled to Vancouver, B.C., to compete in the Canadian Culinary Federation’s National Junior Chef Competition. And while they may have been representing the Sunshine State, they were also required to bring along some of its most iconic food items: McDonald’s french fries, Burger King chicken nuggets and Wendy’s chili.
The grease was collected from local restaurants and then transported north of the border, where it was used in the competition’s Mystery Basket Challenge. The challenge tasked the young chefs with creating a dish using ingredients that were all secretly prepared in advance.
The Florida team ended up winning the competition, but not without a little bit of controversy. Some of the other teams accused them of having an unfair advantage, since they were able to use fresh fast food grease while their competitors had to make do with less-flavorful rendered fats.
Whether or not it was an unfair advantage, one thing is for sure: these young chefs are definitely not afraid of getting their hands dirty – or greasy.
The plan
A group of Florida teenagers took fast-food grease, turned it into biodiesel, and used it to fuel a cross-country road trip to raise money for cancer research. The group traveled more than 2,800 miles in a vegetable oil-powered bus, making stops along the way to promote their cause and collect donations.
The journey took them from their hometown of Sarasota to Vancouver, Canada. Along the way, they gave presentations at schools and community centers about alternative fuels and cancer research. They also collected used cooking oil from restaurants to use as fuel for their bus.
The teens raised more than $10,000 for the American Cancer Society through their cross-country trip.
The journey
In 2007, a group of Florida teenagers embarked on a journey to Canada using only the power of fast-food grease. The “McDonald’s upon thousands of french fries” trip was the idea of 15-year-old Tom Morley, who got the idea from watching a documentary about a man who had traveled across Australia on a bike powered by beer.
The destination
In Florida, a group of high school students recently took an unusual trip to Canada – they travelled there on a bus powered by cooking oil from fast-food restaurants. The students – who are members of an environmental group called the ‘Green Team’ – say they wanted to make a point about the need to find alternatives to fossil fuels.
The bus – which was fitted with a special engine that can run on either diesel or vegetable oil – made the 2,800-mile journey from Florida to Canada in just over five days. Along the way, the students stopped at fast-food restaurants to collect used cooking oil, which they then used to fuel the bus.
The students say they are hoping to raise awareness of the potential of using alternative fuels, and they plan to continue their journey across North America in the coming months.
The adventure
In July of 2018, a group of Florida teenagers embarked on an epic road trip to Canada. Their mode of transportation? A fast-food grease-powered car.
The teens converted an oldsmobile into a functioning car that runs on used fast-food grease. The trip took them nearly 2,000 miles and they stopped at various fast-food joints along the way to refill their tank.
The group documented their journey on social media, raising awareness about the environmental benefits of using used grease as fuel. The trip was a success and the teens made it to their destination safe and sound!
The return
A group of Florida teenagers recently returned from a trip to Canada that was financed by selling used cooking grease from fast-food restaurants. The teenagers, who are all members of the Same Sun Backpackers Club, raised $ 1,500 by collecting and selling the grease. They then used the money to buy plane tickets and travel to Vancouver, where they spent a week exploring the city and doing volunteer work.
The Same Sun Backpackers Club was founded in 2001 by student Sameer Ahmed, who wanted to find a way to travel the world on a tight budget. Since its inception, the club has taken dozens of trips to locations all over the world, including Mexico, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The club has also been profiled by news outlets such as CNN and The New York Times.
The impact
In 2013, a group of Florida teenagers traveled to Canada on aused cooking oil-powered bus in an attempt to raise awareness of the environmental impact of fast food waste. The trip was the brainchild of Gazzaniga, who had learned about the potential for used cooking oil as fuel while visiting a biodiesel plant in Europe.
While the idea of using recycled grease to power a vehicle is not new, the fast food industry produces an enormous amount of waste each day, and Gazzaniga saw an opportunity to use this waste to make a difference. The teens collected used cooking oil from local restaurants and converted it into biodiesel, which they used to power their bus on the 2,000-mile journey from Florida to Canada.
The trip was not without its challenges, but the teens persevered and arrived in Canada after 10 days on the road. Along the way, they stopped at schools and community organizations to share their story and raise awareness about the environmental impact of fast food waste.
The trip was a success, and Gazzaniga hopes that it will inspire other teens to take similar journeys and make a difference in their communities.
The media
In the fall of 2017, a group of Florida teenagers made headlines when they stole a jug of used frying oil from a fast-food restaurant and used it to fuel their trip to Canada. The teens had been inspired by a news article they’d read about a man who had made a similar trip using nothing but french fry grease.
The story quickly went viral, and the teens became minor celebrities. They were even featured on the popular TV show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” But not everyone was thrilled with their stunt. Some people accused the teens of being wasteful, while others praised their resourcefulness.
Regardless of how you feel about their actions, there’s no denying that the Florida teens showed us that it’s possible to power a car with something as seemingly unusable as fast-food grease.
The future
Looking to the future, the team is working on plans to build a larger, more sustainable car that could make the trip using only fryer grease from fast-food restaurants. They are also working on ways to make the trip using only solar power.
Conclusion
After a three-day journey, the Florida teens arrived in Canada, having used only fast-food grease to power their car. The trip was a success, and the teens proved that it is possible to travel using an alternative fuel source. They also showed that it is possible to reduce pollution and consume less oil by usingfast-food grease as a fuel source.
