Echresh Zadeh, Zahra; (2025) Biodiesel From Waste Cooking Oil: A Case Study in Introducing a Practical Approach to Undergraduate Sustainability Education Through a Student Partnership. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (IEEE EDUCON). IEEE: London, UK. (In press).

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Abstract

With current shifts towards sustainability, renewable energy has become a focus point for modern industries, making its integration into the undergraduate curriculum essential. This paper highlights an innovative project at the Department of Chemical Engineering at University College London (UCL), funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which involves the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil in a laboratory setting. Allowing for a practical solution for waste management, it incorporates and advances global sustainability goals. It aligns with key international frameworks, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Advance HE Framework, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) guidelines, and the principles of the circular economy. Third-year chemical engineering undergraduates experienced hands-on learning throughout this project. The experimental process involved transesterification of the waste oil, using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a catalyst, followed by a gas chromatography (GC) analysis assessing the purity of the product. Applying real-world sustainability concepts within an undergraduate laboratory, allows students to gain invaluable experience with sustainability technologies and analytical methods, enriching their understanding of waste reduction and responsible resource use. This project advances several SDGs, including Goal 4 - Quality Education - by providing students with practical, sustainabilityfocused learning opportunities; Goal 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy - by promoting renewable energy; Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production - by advocating for waste recycling; and Goal 13 - Climate Action - by contributing to reduced greenhouse gas emissions through biodiesel use. Furthermore, it supports principles of a circular economy by transforming waste into valuable resources and reducing reliance on virgin fossil fuels. Combining educational objectives with sustainable engineering practices, it offers students the skills and knowledge needed for future professional growth while fostering innovation in green engineering. Integration of green chemistry principles into engineering laboratory practices significantly enhances the educational experience by exposing students to analytical skills not typically used in their course - thus teaching sustainability in a practical, tangible way. This demonstrates the importance of incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, preparing students to address global challenges and advance transition towards a sustainable future. This project allowed students involved to gain hands-on experience in the bench-scale production of biodiesel, develop GC methods in collaboration with the Chemistry department at UCL, and learn how to rigorously analyze data. This instilled sustainable thinking and reinforced the importance of waste management and resource efficiency, embodying the principles of a circular economy. From an educational perspective, this project enhanced students' practical laboratory skills in areas outside the syllabus scope, bridging the gap between theory and practical application within green engineering and sustainability. This project enhances the curriculum by incorporating sustainability practices so that future students can be better prepared to address sustainability challenges. The interdisciplinary nature of this project fostered collaborative opportunities, between departments, in exploring new sustainable initiatives, potentially leading to later partnerships with external partners. Future efforts should focus on further refining the process, scaling up production, and expanding educational initiatives to ensure that sustainability remains a core focus in engineering education.

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