A story of love, travel...and waste cooking oil (lots of it)
Thu 15 September 2011
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Andy Pag from London and Christina Ammon from Oregon, USA, have arrived in the UK after a two-year around-the-world journey in a recycled 'biotruck' powered by used cooking oil which they scavenged from fryers along their 30,000km route. Andy had built the truck from an old school bus salvaged from a scrap yard. He set off alone in 2010 but met and fell in love with Christina during the journey.
The 'biotruck' was converted to run on waste cooking oil by installing a filtering system and large tank which was fitted under the bed.
Finding waste vegetable oil along the journey was only one of the challenges, Pag said. Constant breakdowns dogged the 22-year-old Mercedes bus, and the route ventured through southern Pakistan where Taliban fighters often attack road convoys. In India Pag was arrested on suspicion of terrorism and imprisoned in the infamous Ajmer Prison, holding up the trip for months.
The recycling road trip was inspired by a desire to travel on a sustainable carbon budget and the couple say that travelling around the world using things others have thrown away has convinced them that tackling consumption-culture is the key to reducing carbon emissions.
Pag is no stranger to unusual adventures. Four years ago he drove a chocolate-powered lorry to Timbuktu - using biodiesel made from factory waste cocoa butter.
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