For those working and running a commercial kitchen to people who are just cooking at home, questions about how waste management is handled in your city can be a pressing concern. Especially when cooking oil is used so often in cooking, baking, and more, the proper disposal of used oil is important to know more about.
Below, we take a closer look at best practices for waste oil management and how used cooking oil should be disposed of.
Can Used Oil be Disposed with General Waste?
In general, it is not recommended to dispose of used cooking oil directly with general waste, particularly for commercial kitchens. It is highly recommended as a best practice for waste oil management that you dispose of used cooking oil properly by working with a company like Green Mountain Products, LLC that provides sustainable waste management solutions.
As a family owned and operated business, Green Mountain Products, LLC is focused on the recycling of animal and vegetable oil. We offer services like industrial recycling services and used cooking oil collection to customers just like you throughout Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.
The only time that used cooking oil may be disposed of with general waste is for at home cooking, where a smaller amount of oil is used in comparison to a commercial kitchen. You can dispose of used oil at home by pouring the used cooking oil into a disposable container that can then be picked up by a service that collects used cooking oil or placed into the trash. But even with that in mind, we always recommend properly disposing of used cooking oil by not placing it in the trash or down a drain.
If you would like to know more about how to recycle cooking oil in Ohio, see our post here on the topic.
Why Should Used Cooking Oil Not Be Disposed of with General Waste?
Tossing used cooking oil into the trash or pouring it down the drain can be harmful in a few different ways. By pouring it down the drain, you run the risk of causing blocks and clogs in the sewer system both in your commercial kitchen and in the surrounding areas. Used cooking oil, when put down a drain, will mix with wastewater and all types of other substances which can result in a combination that will build up in the pipeline. This can lead to backed up water and sewage.
Throwing used cooking oil into the trash can be particularly harmful to the environment. By throwing it into the garbage, you are guaranteeing that your used cooking oil will wind up in a landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), vegetable oils and animal fats can produce similar environmental effects like petroleum oils. They can:
- Create foul odors
- Form toxic products
- Form products that remain in an environment for years
- Destroy both future and existing food supplies, habitats, and animals
- Cause harmful physical effects, including coating animals and plants in oil
So, if you have used cooking oil to recycle, reach out to Green Mountain Products, LLC. We can help you dispose of your used cooking oil properly to help lessen your environmental impact.
Does Waste Management Collect Used Cooking Oil?
Whether or not waste management services in your area or city collect used cooking oil will depend primarily on the city itself. For example, the city of Columbus, Ohio offers refuse collection for a number of different things including general trash collection.
But on the city of Columbus’ website, you can also search their refuse collection services to see what types of items and waste they do collect. And according to their site (as of April 2024), Columbus, Ohio does offer cooking oil recycling, though residents will need to drop their household hazardous waste off at the centers listed online.
If you are unsure of what your city’s approach to best practices for waste oil management are, it can be helpful to check the city’s website and what types of waste management they offer. You can also check with local providers of sustainable waste management solutions, like Green Mountain Products, LLC, who can answer questions you may have about used cooking oil collection.
Get in Touch with Green Mountain Products Today for Used Oil Collection
Disposing of your used cooking oil with Green Mountain Products ensures that your oil will be recycled and given a new life. Recycling used cooking oil is a sustainable waste management solution that benefits the local economy and environment equally.
Connect with our team today to learn more about how we can help you with your used cooking oil disposal needs. You can reach us over the phone at 740-217-8300 or online.