Oil-ternative® is our line of bio-based release agents made from waste cooking oil collected from restaurants across Vancouver Island. Each product replaces a petroleum-based equivalent with a VOC-free, locally produced alternative that delivers clean, consistent results on concrete forms, asphalt paving equipment, and unpaved roads. Built for contractors, builders, and municipalities, Oil-ternative® supports green building practices and safer job sites while working with the standard application equipment you already use.

What is Oil-ternative®?

Oil-ternative® is a family of industrial release and stabilizing products engineered from waste

cooking oil rather than crude petroleum. Conventional form release agents and dust suppressants often rely on diesel, mineral oils, or solvent carriers that release volatile organic compounds, leave residue on finished surfaces, and create handling risks for crews. Oil-ternative® was developed to match the performance of those products without the petroleum base or the VOC emissions that come with it.

The result is a clean-release, low-odour product that performs in real working conditions. Concrete pours pull away cleanly with sharp edges and minimal surface defects. Asphalt sticks less to truck beds, rollers, and hand tools. Gravel roads hold together with less airborne dust. Every product in the line carries the same core idea: a waste stream that used to be a disposal problem becomes a high-performing material that keeps working.

How Oil-ternative® is made

Every batch starts with used cooking oil collected from restaurants, food producers, and commercial kitchens throughout the Cowichan Valley and the wider Vancouver Island region. That oil would otherwise head to disposal or risk clogging municipal systems. We collect it, filter it, and process it into clean bio-based feedstock at our facility in Duncan, BC.

From there, the refined oil is formulated into the finished Oil-ternative® products. Because production happens locally, the supply chain stays short and the carbon footprint stays low compared to petroleum products shipped in from far away. It is a closed loop: oil leaves a Vancouver Island kitchen, gets upcycled a short drive away, and comes back to job sites in the same communities as a sustainable working product.

The Oil-ternative® product line

Each product is built for a specific job. Explore the full range above, or read more on the individual product pages.

• Concrete Form Release Agent — A VOC-free agent that delivers clean, consistent form release on concrete pours, protecting forms and producing sharp, defect-free finished surfaces.
• Asphalt Paving Release Agent — Keeps hot-mix asphalt from sticking to truck beds, rollers, and hand tools, reducing buildup and cleanup time for paving crews.
• Dust and Road Stabilizer — Controls airborne dust and helps bind unpaved surfaces, keeping gravel roads and lots more stable with less maintenance.
• Biodiesel — A clean-burning renewable fuel produced from the same recycled cooking oil feedstock, available locally on Vancouver Island.

Why contractors and municipalities choose Oil-ternative®

Switching to Oil-ternative® means cleaner job sites, fewer VOC emissions, and a smaller environmental footprint, all without sacrificing the performance crews depend on. The products work with standard application equipment, support green building and procurement goals, and are made right here on Vancouver Island. For builders, paving contractors, and municipalities working toward sustainability targets, it is a straightforward way to cut petroleum out of daily operations.