The China Post reports that the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration will require over 500 fast food chain stores and instant noodle manufacturers in September to report the amount of cooking oil waste left over from their operations as well as the method of their disposal in the government‘‘s effort to encourage businesses to recycle the oil for the production of biodiesel.

EPA said that it will hold seminars with fast food chains and instant noodle manufacturers in August to promote the recycling of waste cooking oil into the environmentally-friendly biodiesel, which the government plans to promote as an alternative motor fuel to gasoline.

According to statistics compiled by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, biodiesel can cut down carbon monoxide emissions by eleven percent, nitrogen oxide emissions by 21 percent, and atmospheric aerosols by 10 percent when compared to regular diesel fuel.

Starting next year, Taiwan motorists will be required to add biodiesel in addition to gasoline to their vehicles following a revision to the Energy Administration Law by the Legislative Yuan earlier this year.

EPA is also encouraging all Taiwan residents, schools, and organizations to dispose of their waste cooking oil to sanitation workers who will then transfer the waste for the production of biodiesel.

Taiwan produces 70,000 to 85,000 metric tons of waste cooking oil annually, with the fast food industry, food manufacturers, and restaurants accounting for 72 to eighty percent of the production, according to the EPA, and residences, schools, and organizations accounting for 20 to 28 percent.

"In order to create a win-win situation for economic development and environmental protection, EPA calls on residents, schools, organizations, local governments, and businesses to dispose of their waste cooking oil to local sanitation workers for the purpose of developing a new source of energy, relieve energy insufficiencies, and reduce environmental pollution," EPA said.

The Cabinet has set a goal of producing 6,500 kiloliters of biofuel, mainly biodiesel for the present stage, by the end of this year.

The government-owned Chinese Petroleum Corp. and the private sector‘‘s Formosa Petrochemical Corp. will be responsible for supplying biodiesel to motorists at gas stations that use their gasoline starting from next year.