A Saskatchewan company is collecting used canola oil and recycling it as a stabilizing topper for dusty rural roads.

According to Mark Hryniuk of Prairie Energy, the oil product is an effective solution for restaurants looking to dispose of spent fryer oil.

"Used is a lot stickier than new. And it's a lot cheaper," Hryniuk said. "We pay restaurants for it. Set up a container, vac it and there's a whole process. When it's all said and done, we find the used vegetable oil to be the best."

Hryniuk came up with the idea while driving down a dusty road near his Prud'homme-area farm, northeast of Saskatoon.

"It basically penetrates about an inch and a half," he explained. "As you drive on it, it gets harder and harder. And it looks like poor man's pavement. We've done complete villages already."

According to Hryniuk, after the used oil is applied, the road does emit a slight french-fries odour for a few days.