Dartmouth bus using vegetable oil to stop at Harveys

Dartmouth College’s Big Green Bus tour across America will stop at Harveys Lake Tahoe’s Outdoor Arena on July 24 to refuel with recycled waste vegetable oil from the resort’s restaurants.

The converted Greyhound bus, operated by 13 students, runs on 290 gallons of WVO and travels the country seeking to educate individuals on best sustainability practices.

The event begins at 1pm and is open to the public.

In 2011, Caesars Entertainment — which owns Harveys and Harrah’s — recycled 320,000 gallons of restaurant cooking oil to be reused at its resorts, or is removed and repurposed for use in biodiesel and other products.

The Dartmouth students, along with representatives from Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe, will be speaking about the concept of the Big Green Bus and other important sustainability issues.

The bus provides educational opportunities at each stop through stations including a tour of the bus, an interactive map telling stories of sustainability across the country, a demonstration of how individuals can build and shop with environmentally friendly products, a discussion about the energy costs of food, personal waste reduction, and a stationary bicycle hooked to a generator that powers several different energy-efficient bulbs.