In the United States, Americans waste more than two billion gallons of cooking oil each year and many people find a convenient solution by pouring it down the drain. 

Ever wonder what happens to all that oil?

Dumping used cooking oil down the drain can lead to clogged pipes and sewage overflow. As a result, you may be left with hefty maintenance and plumbing bills. 

In an effort to address this issue, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with The Indonesian Diaspora Network of Greater Philadelphia is piloting a program called "Feed the Barrel," to help local residents recycle used cooking oil, which is the very first of its kind. 

Lena Kim, who is communications specialist for the EPA said the agency was doing outreach to underrepresented communities in Philadelphia to provide information and resources about the environment, at the same time, she heard the Indonesian community was having sewage problems. 

"The benefit of recycling oil is that the oil avoids the sewage pipes," Kim said. "I heard the Indonesian community was having sewage problems and I thought we should teach them how to recycle oil." 

Kim also recalled her own experience of the damage used oil can cause. "I had to pay a $600 sewage bill because my basement over-flooded with water, and I wasn't pouring a huge amount of oil down the drain. But it was a year of pouring little amounts that eventually accumulated and attached to food particles which blocked the pipes."

More than a dozen of barrels are placed around neighborhoods in South Philadelphia where Indonesians live. When the barrels are filled, Eden Green Energy, a Philadelphia-based company, collects the oil and recycles it. 

The sustainability pilot plans to spread to other communities. "Feed the Barrel" held a celebration on Tuesday, April 15 and collected more than 50 gallons of oil from one barrel at the JC Bake Shop on 1730 Snyder Ave. 

"Immigrants who come here discover it takes a little longer to find your feet and figure out all the systems in place and then have a voice, It's a tall order. When we know what the issues are in the environment, that's when we can fight," Nina Ahmad, Head of Commissions for Asian American Affairs said during the event. 

Spreading the word 

Cut Zahara Hamzah, program director for "Feed the Barrel," helps spread the word about the pilot to others in her community and held an event called "Train the Trainer" to teach kids the importance of oil recycling. 

Hamzah grew up in a village in Indonesia that was seven miles from a Exxon Mobile plant. She remembered how the pollution from the oil plant impacted the environment around her neighborhood. 

"I grew up in a village that was seven miles from Exxon Mobile, I remember breathing the bad air, seeing the sky full of black smoke and the dead fishes on the beach. I saw the damage pollution can bring," Hamzah said. "I feel obligated to do something about the environment, I've been a victim and feel responsible to do something."