Comayagua, Honduras — In a country grappling with environmental challenges and economic hardship, young Hondurans are proving that innovation can blossom from even the most unlikely sources — like a pan of used cooking oil.
Their initiative, Sustenta Honduras, is not only reshaping how waste is handled but also challenging how sustainability can be implemented in real, tangible ways in Latin America. From the grease-stained backrooms of restaurants to the modest processing floors of their plant, waste cooking oil—once a silent contributor to environmental degradation—is now being repurposed into soap and even dog food.
Like much of Latin America, fried food is a cherished part of daily life in Honduras. But the grease it leaves behind has long been improperly discarded, clogging plumbing, polluting waterways, and even fueling a black market for recycled oil. That’s where Sustenta saw potential.
As reported by BBC News, Hugo Daniel Chávez, a 27-year-old environmentalist, and his team of youth activists began collecting used oil from homes and restaurants, offering small cash incentives—between 2.50 and 3.50 Lempiras per pound (roughly 10 cents USD)—to encourage responsible disposal.
The collected oil is filtered and transformed into two main products: bar soap and nutrient-rich dog food. The soap is eco-friendly and low-cost, while the dog food—fortified with beef tallow from local slaughterhouses—helps meet demand in the pet food market while reducing organic waste.
A major boost came in 2024 when Walmart Central America partnered with Sustenta Honduras, supplying the group with a consistent stream of oil waste from its stores and restaurants. Sustenta also collaborates with a water purification facility, using treated wastewater to cool equipment—another nod to their circular economy ethos.
Sustenta now brings in over 106,000 Lempiras (about USD $4,200) a month in soap sales. But the initiative’s focus isn’t profit, says executive director Ricardo Pineda: “We’re not here to make a fortune. The goal is to create a model that works—one we can replicate in other towns, other regions, even other countries.”
In 2023, the team’s work was recognized internationally when they won a $20,000 grant from the Youth4Climate Energy Challenge, co-sponsored by the United Nations and the Italian government. The Dutch embassy in Honduras has also extended support.
All of the founding members are under 30. Environmental advocate Paola Acevedo summed up their mission: “We’re not here just to raise our voices—we’re here to create something real. Environmentalism isn’t just about saying no. It’s also about building the alternatives.”
In a region often overlooked in global climate conversations, these young Hondurans are leading by example—transforming waste into opportunity and showing that sustainable change can start with just a few drops of used oil and a lot of determination.
