Going Green is as Easy as 1,2,3

Posted on May 05, 2008 by Bill Dube

FiltaGroup Continues Decade-Long Commitment to the Environment with New Services & Accreditation Program

Long before “going green” was popularized by Hollywood celebrities and countless public figures, FiltaGroup has been committed to the environment since its inception in 1996. Noting the increasing interest from companies seeking a more environmentally-friendly way to do business, FiltaGroup has unveiled a new accreditation program – a new benchmark in the green arena.

            “So many businesses want to jump on the green bandwagon but they have no idea how to do so,” said Victor Clewes, CEO of FiltaGroup. “In our 12 years in business, FiltaGroup has never viewed ‘going green’ as a trend but instead as an integral piece of the business puzzle. It’s because of this history that companies can confidently select FiltaFry for environmentally-sound advice and services. By selecting one, two or three of our services, FiltaGroup will provide the appropriate level of accreditation. We will also supply window decals and artwork for menus or advertising so that our clients can clearly show their green commitment”. 

            FiltaFry, the company’s founding brand and most popular offering, is the only service of its kind in the United States that specializes in mobile, onsite maintenance of deep fryers in restaurants and commercial kitchens through a comprehensive fryer management program that includes micro-filtration of cooking oil, thermostat calibration, vacuum-based cleaning of deep fryers and operations guidance. In roughly 40 minutes, a FiltaFry technician removes small contamination particles that cause oil breakdown and results in cleaner and longer-lasting oil and hygienically clean fryers. With the cost of fryer oil more than doubling in price over the past year and new regulations involving trans-fat free foods now in effect across the country, restaurants need their oil to last as long as possible. With the FiltaFry service, restaurants are able to save money on this costly necessity without compromising food quality and by helping the environment at the same time.

            Dovetailing with the FiltaFry system is FiltaWaste. When fryer oil can no longer be filtered and must be replaced, a FiltaFry representative will empty the fryer, collecting the used oil and distributing it to local plants and individuals involved in the production of biodiesel, a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel. By selling the oil directly to the plant or individual and eliminating the middleman, it’s ensured the oil will be used toward the creation of biodiesel and not dumped back into the environment in a harmful manner. While some of FiltaFry franchisees are already offering this service, FiltaWaste will be available nationwide at the end of May.

            Lastly, the FiltaCool system brings FiltaGroup’s offerings full circle. FiltaCool panels act in the same way products like Debbie Meyer GreenBags or boxes of baking soda do but on a much more effective and larger scale. Several 12”-by-16” panels (typically five or six depending on the cubic space) are installed into an establishment’s refrigerator or freezer without any electricity or wiring required. Once installed, the FiltaCool panels go to work immediately absorbing and desorbing moisture caused by humidity, reducing odors and odor transfer between products, capturing ethylene and pectin gases and limiting the spread of bacteria. The panels also stabilize cold storage temperatures, reduce energy consumption and extend the life of mechanical refrigeration components. A FiltaFry franchisee will come in each month to exchange the panels and take the used panels away to be degassed, reused and eventually replaced completely every 18 months – a cycle that keeps in line with The Filta eco-friendly philosophy.

“It’s extremely important for us to continue rolling out environmentally-friendly products and services, especially when they are simple and easy to use,” said Clewes. “Our franchisees take care of everything from the initial assessment to the maintenance and let the results speak for themselves. Also, FiltaCool allows us to reach a wider variety of businesses – like florists and convenience stores – that would normally not use the FiltaFry or FiltaWaste services.”

Since launching operations in the United States in 2002, FiltaFry has grown to more than 140 franchise locations in 40 states with thousands of commercial customers nationwide including restaurants, fast-food outlets, hotels, bars, casinos, airports, hospitals, schools, zoos, sports venues and many other establishments where food is fried. FiltaFry’s goal is to have 220 franchise owners in the United States by the end of 2008 and eventually exceed 1,000 U.S. franchisees.