Never pour a pan of grease down the sink
Cooking oil, bacon grease, and deep-fryer oil solidify in pipes and in sewer lines. Let the oil cool until it is safe to handle, then pour it into a sealed container. A lidded jug or a rigid tub works. Do not mix it with motor oil, solvents, or leftover chemicals. Those are different programs. Small amounts soaked into a paper towel may be trash if your hauler agrees, but a fryer full of oil is a liquid and needs a collection. Do not dump it on a compost pile in a flood. A little oil on kitchen scraps is not the same as a gallon of fryer oil.
Ask who takes household grease
Some recycling centers, some transfer stations, and some special grease programs accept cooking oil from residents. Restaurants often have a rendering contract that does not apply to a single household. Call and ask about household cooking oil, container limits, and whether the oil must be strained. Food bits and batter can cause a refusal. Strain cooled oil through a sieve if the program wants it clean, and put the crumbs in the trash. If no program exists, ask the disposal site before you invent a plan. Do not pour oil into a storm drain because a collection was inconvenient.
Keep the jug out of the trash bags
If you are already going to the site with other materials, keep the oil jug upright and visible. Tell the scale house you have cooking oil so they can say yes or no before you are on the floor. If they say no, you still have the jug and you can take it to the program that said yes. Do not hide it in a bag. A burst oil bag is a slip hazard for the crew and a mess in your bed. Label the container so nobody mistakes it for something to drink or for motor oil.
Before you go
- Cool the oil and pour it into a sealed, labeled container.
- Do not pour it down a drain or mix it with motor oil.
- Call a grease or HHW program, or ask the site, before you haul it.
- Transport it upright and take it back if the bay refuses liquids.
Pouring a turkey fryer into the backyard because the jug was full.
Questions people ask
Does hardened bacon grease count?
Yes, it is still grease. Scrape it into a container. Do not send a lump down the disposal.
Can I give oil to someone who makes fuel?
Only if that person or business is actually set up to take household oil and tells you how they want it packaged. Do not leave jugs at a stranger's gate.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.