Production of soaps with essential oils as a sustainable alternative for reusing waste vegetable oil

Abstract

This article presents a green perspective on the reuse of waste vegetable oil in the manufacture of soap. In Brazil, tons of waste are generated from used cooking oils. Therefore, it is necessary to diversify the mechanisms for reusing these wastes, to transform them back into raw materials. Vegetable oil is the main raw material for soap production. Following this trend, this work aimed to reuse residual vegetable oil in the production of soaps, but for this purpose, it was subjected to adaptation through filtration and purification. The results validated the idea's high potential in the field of environmental awareness so that it can be replicated in practical classes and university extension activities. It can also be useful for waste management and can support the development of community projects in an ecological approach.