Brown grease is a mixture of high-value hydrocarbons, such as waste vegetable oil, animal fats and grease that is collected in water treatment plants and requires further treatment before disposal. However, brown grease has a higher level of contamination, compared to yellow grease, and cannot be used as animal feedstock or fertilizer. Additionally, brown grease is responsible for about 40% of all sewer overflows, causing back-ups and damage to pipe lines and for about 20,000,000 illnesses each year in the USA.