Pizza Hut Indonesia joins forces with biofuel startup to tackle used oil waste

Pizza Hut Indonesia has teamed up with biofuel startup TUKR to tackle food production waste, diverting used cooking oil from landfills and waterways and turning it into fuel.

The QSR giant has been collecting used oil from its Pizza Hut Delivery (PHD) locations across the country. Between June 2024 and May 2025, the effort reached 31 tonnes of collected oil from over 200 outlets - a milestone that hints at the untapped potential of what is often dismissed as kitchen waste.

The initiative stems from Pizza Hut’s broader “Pizza Hut Peduli 8P” programme, and aims to weave environmental responsibility into daily operations. More than 70% of PHD outlets have already taken part, with full participation across all business locations expected.

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Nurdrajat Sumadyana (pictured, far left), senior manager of corporate social responsibility at Pizza Hut Indonesia, said the company applies sustainability principles through eight key pillars, two of which focus on managing food waste and packaging, as well as transitioning to energy-saving and renewable solutions.

“Our collaboration with TUKR aligns with and is a realisation of our deepening commitment to these two pillars. Therefore, even though Pizza Hut’s business activities are not directly related to environmentally impactful operations, the company remains committed to playing a role in environmental protection and conservation,” Sumadyana said.

But what might appear to be a sustainability programme is also a matter of product integrity. “With cooking oil, we implement regular oil change procedures to maintain its clarity and quality,” he added. “On the other hand, we ensure that the used cooking oil can still be utilised without harming the environment.”

The oil is processed by TUKR, an Indonesian company specialising in used cooking oil (UCO) collection and conversion into biofuel. TUKR’s head of brand and partnership, Adhi Putra Tawakal (pictured, far right), framed the initiative as one with both environmental and social ambitions. “We are grateful to be part of this sustainability initiative by Pizza Hut, and we hope more companies and individuals will share the same motivation and movement to make Indonesia and the world better and healthier,” he said.

TUKR estimates that the 31 tonnes of collected oil prevented more than 102,000 kg of carbon emissions, protected 31 billion litres of clean water, and safeguarded the health of more than 31,000 people.

The story, however, does not stop at Pizza Hut outlets. In early 2025, TUKR launched the “MENYALA with TUKR” programme, which promotes household-level UCO collection. Employees and individuals are given 1-litre jerry cans to store used oil, which is then picked up and processed into low-emission fuel.

Pizza Hut Indonesia began implementing the programme internally in June 2025, coinciding with World Environment Day. At the initial collection on June 3, more than 170 litres of used cooking oil were successfully collected by Pizza Hut employees. In total, 275 employees participated in the launch week.

As for TUKR, Tawakal sees room to grow: “One of TUKR’s missions is to popularise the collection of used cooking oil at the household level.” TUKR partners with food manufacturers, restaurant chains, hotels, MSMEs, communities, and households to provide waste oil management solutions. Its operations span dozens of provinces - primarily in Western and Central Indonesia - and have served more than 9,000 businesses and organisations.

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