MOULTRIE — You’re retired. You’re living in an assisted living center with several friends. How do you fill your hours? What do you do?

Don’t say bingo.

“There are just so many ways to play bingo. We got so tired of playing bingo,” said Tommy Greene, president of Green Terrace Assisted Living Center in Moultrie.

So Greene proposed a project for the residents: Let’s make soap.

But before they could make soap, the residents had to learn to make glycerin, one of the soap’s main ingredients and a byproduct of the process that creates biodiesel.

Oh, yes, and once they made the soap, they’ll learn how to market it online.

That’s a challenge that would make anyone throw down their bingo cards.

The idea “sort of evolved,” said Greene, who was extensively involved with biofuels as a farmer before taking the Green Terrace job.

The residents learned that glycerin was a product of the biodiesel-making process and then learned how to make soap from this byproduct. Their next project is learning how to make candles, and they are also exploring the possibility of using another byproduct, potash, as fertilizer for their plants and flowers. Kim Strickland, assistant manager and activities director at Green Terrace, said they found out there were 1,500 different uses for glycerin and the residents have been researching those other uses.

“The residents’ skin is softer by working with it. It’s very safe for them to use and handle,” said Strickland.

Also, the group was exploring the listing of their soaps on the Internet auction site eBay as another learning activity. Carol Ranus, a Life Star associate and eBay Power Lister, is assisting the group with this project.

“She can give them advice about what works best,” said Greene.

Greene and his staff also plan to expand their activity program through the assistance and input of the Georgia Agriculture Innovation Center.

Greene said the reward was that these activities kept the residents mentally active and made them feel productive in society again.

The staff uses virgin soy bean oil instead of used vegetable oil to keep the process as “clean” as possible for the residents. Then methanol and lye (either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) is added. The whole process takes about 8 to 12 hours because the glycerin needs to settle to the bottom of the tank. The yield from each batch is 40 gallons of biodiesel and 3-1/2 gallons of glycerin. The staff was knowledgeable about the intricacies of the process and enthusiastically shared that information.

More information about their biodiesel/glycerin soap project can be found posted on their website at www.greenterraceassistedliving.com. A biofuel presentation can also be scheduled through the website.

“We’re fortunate to have the talent we have on our team,” said Greene.

And what are they doing with the biodiesel? Kathy Baker, administrator for Green Terrace, said that they have just been keeping it. The staff has thought about buying a diesel generator for emergencies and using the stock-piled fuel to power it.

“Our ‘byproduct’ of our activity is the biodiesel,” said Greene laughing.

He said the center’s officials would like to expose other people to the idea of making biodiesel because they believe that it is a way of helping the environment.

“Making the public aware is a way we can contribute. We all need to know how to save our environment and how to keep our minds active,” said Greene, who is particularly interested in teleconference programs and sharing the information with school students.

He jokingly said that he and his staff “thought outside the box” and then just stayed “outside the box.” He also said that none of what they do at the facility is planned. Baker added that things just sort of happen and they go with it. However, Greene said, they would love to have advice and constructive criticism about their residents’ activities. He said that their goal is that every one of their projects are designed to help others improve their lives.

“We’re having good clean fun,” said Greene.