A simple solution saves
tremendous water use,
labor and dollars.
Capturing airborne kitchen grease is one way for an airport to increase
sustainability while improving
the bottom line for itself and
its concessionaires.
In addition to being a fire hazard,
airborne grease is an environmental
concern and costly to clean. Local
and national regulations require
commercial foodservice operations
to install a kitchen exhaust system
to evacuate heat, grease effluent,
moisture and smoke from the
cooking area. Typically consisting
of a hood, baffle filters, ducts and
exhaust fan, the kitchen exhaust
system must be monitored and
maintained in accordance with
National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) codes. NFPA 96 Section 11. 4,
page 23, states that any commercial
kitchen exhaust system requires that
the entire system shall be inspected
for grease build-up by a properly
trained, qualified and certified
person, acceptable to the authority
having jurisdiction.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International (HJAIA), standard
practice for the airport’s
approximately 82 concessionaires
includes a water- and labor-intensive
nightly cleaning of the baffle filter.
The cleaning is costly to the food
service operator, as well as to the
AIRBORNE KITCHEN GREASE
A NEW FRONTIER IN SUSTAINABILITY
BY MICHAEL CHEYNE, A.A.E., HOLLY ELMORE AND LIZA MILAGRO
environment, as the cleaning agent-laden water is dispensed into the
sewer. Chapter 11 of NFPA 96
dictates that all kitchen exhaust
systems shall be inspected and
tested with a frequency requirement
established by Table 11. 4 of the code.
This maintenance averages $850
and uses 1,500 gallons of water. The
1,500 gallons of water consumed is
a conservative estimate that includes
daily baffle cleanings, as well as
monthly cleanings.
Recognizing the problem,
the airport is promoting use of
the Grease Lock Filter (GLF)
System produced by Ellis Fibre
as an economic, sustainable and
convenient solution to addressing
airborne grease.
Simple and effective, the GLF
system offers an easy-to-install solution for airborne
kitchen grease management.