To keep it in read-to-fry condition, strain the oil through a coffee filter or a few layers of cheesecloth to remove any crumbs or bits of food. Used cooking oil can be recycled into biofuels . If it’s sent to a biodiesel plant, it is filtered and processed into fuel that can be burned in most diesel engines, like trucks. Make sure to tie the bag tightly, after pouring oil into it to avoid spills. Pouring cooking oil down the drain may seem harmless, but the oil often sticks to the insides of pipes. All rights reserved. I have a deep-fryer containing about 3 liters of cooking oil that is now getting old and nasty. Keep adding your used cooking oil to the container until you are ready to recycle it. Contract the Services of an Oil Recycling Company. If you regularly prepare fried foods with small amounts of cooking oil that you don’t intend to reuse, consider purchasing a grease keeper. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. By Glenda Taylor. Cooking oil must cool to room temperature before it can be safely handled. It is now not appropriate for cooking, and you are thinking of clearing the old pans out. Avoid using glass, Balkan warns, since glass has a tendency to shatter and "enhances the risk of injury to sanitation workers." but I still don't use it fast enough before it goes bad. Solidified grease can be used in place of lard or shortening for biscuits or turned into a spread for toast the same way you might make compound butter. The first thought would be to pour it out through the kitchen sink, which clogs the pipes or pouring it outside, which is downright unhealthy. Whether you’re pan frying fish in vegetable oil or faced with a skillet full of liquid fat from your breakfast bacon, you’re probably going to have to figure out how to dispose of the used oil. Before pouring a couple of Tbsp. That not only helps reduce the need for fossil fuel production, it’s the greenest thing to do. According to Beth Porter, climate and recycling director for Green America, "Some municipal programs may offer curbside pick up for oil with detailed instructions, but most areas do not and ask that residents drop off collected used oil at specific locations." You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. Step 2: Remove oil and grease from pots and pans: Small amounts of oil and grease can be wiped up by paper towels or newspaper and placed in the compost. Olive, canola, and sunflower oils are especially good for this. Here’s what commercial kitchens can do with used cooking oil. Cooking oil is one of the main culprits for clogged pipes at home, find out how best to dispose of it. Like we saw above, you often end up with leftover cooking oil after deep frying or browning beef. Dumping it in your garden is not a disposal option. Maker's Cleaning Cloths: http://MakersClean.comWatch more Clean My Space videos here! If you want to dispose of spent cooking grease, the best way to do it is to pour the fat into a sealable container that you're fine with throwing away. By learning how to dispose of cooking fats—from vegetable oil to animal grease—properly. Follow Caused by solidified cooking oils that pick up debris and expand, becoming enormous obstructions in the sewer system, these early clogs may be museum-worthy, but they're also destructive (and dangerous to the workers who try to remove them). So continue to use it as long as it passes the sniff test below. Disposing of Fats, Cooking Oil and Grease. Just enter your zip code to find out if there’s a cooking oil recycling collection center near you. Butcher blocks and cutting boards benefit from it also. As long as it’s in a closed container, you can then put it in your trash receptacle and throw it away with your regular kitchen waste. Pour the oil into the container, screw the cap on tight, and toss it in the trash. Use old oil in your garden. Disposing of Cooking Oil: 1) For safety, always allow oil to cool completely for disposal. While it can be used for the same product two or three times, it's best to make sure the oil is safe to cook with. If you do not have curbside food scraps collection, small amounts of soaked up cooking oil would go into your household garbage. But it may not be as much of a no-brainer as you’d think. Of course, that's only if you're home-composting. Most deep fryers are designed to retain their oil from use to use, and it’s a hassle to strain an entire tank. wikihow.comImage: wikihow.comPut the sealed container with the cooking oil in it into your food waste bin. According to the US EPA, somewhere between 380 and 800 million gallons of waste oil are collected by professional oil recycling services for reuse. - Whether you want to make your fries or fry bacon nice and crispy, frying and cooking oil is indispensable in every household. The best way to dispose of used cooking oil is to, well, re-use it. The process involves cooling the oil so it becomes a solid (or freezing it), transferring it to another container if necessary, composting it, or dropping it off at a restaurant or recycling center. How to dispose of cooking oil. The Best Way To Dispose Of Used Cooking Oil. While you could, in theory, toss your filled (and sealed) container right into the trash can to take out to the curb, that’s not the only means for how to dispose of cooking oil. If you add garlic or hot pepper, it will be an even better deterrent to future insect pests. Cooking oil collection services, such as Olleco, help businesses to recycle their waste cooking oil to produce biofuels, which can be used to replace fossil fuels used for transport. Puncture the dome of the old oil filter and drain the excess oil from it into your oil pan. Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. How to Dispose of Cooking Oil and Fat. Don’t Pour Oil Down the Drain. Save old oil in a used container until it is time to empty the litter box; dump the oil into the litter before tossing out. Just go to "Green Directory" at the top of this page, enter “cooking oil” and your zip code to find the drop-off recycling locations closest to you. Prepare oil for transport using a sealable oil pan, or pour it into a polyethylene container that … Use a clean plastic container with a sturdy lid or screw-on top. "But it has to be done right, so do your homework." You’ll need a more secure container, such as an empty plastic milk jug or soda bottle with a tight screw-on lid. Reuse the Oil Oils can also kill weeds and are a chemical-free way of doing it too. It is easy to clean your pans in the kitchen sink and pour the oil down the drain, however oils can build up in pipes and eventually clog your sewage system. April 15, 2020 September 2, 2020 BBuckley Cooking Oils, Cooking Techniques. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The cooking oil recycling process depends on where the oil is sent. Soap Making- Lye soaps can be made using cooking oils, another creative way of making use of that old oil. If your community has curbside collection for food scraps, small amounts of used cooking oil can be soaked up in used paper towels or newspaper and then added to your curbside organics bin. Just pour or scrape used oil into the foil-lined canister and replace the lid. It isn't the greatest option for an environmentally conscious cook, but it's the best one we have right now. Hot oil can cause serious burns, so take your time and make sure you always follow safety precautions when … If you do this, it will eventually end up in the sewer system and cause clogs there. … Continue reading "What to Do with Used Cooking Oil" To reduce the risk of accidentally burning yourself, let the cooking oil cool completely before you dispose of it. Seal the filter in a plastic bag and recycle with the used oil; it will still contain several ounces of oil. Glenda Taylor, 8 Tricks for Quick Composting Your Way to Free Fertilizer, 45 Things Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do. Hopefully, you’ve stopped short of dumping it down the sink! You could potentially cause a blockage in your plumping which will just end up troublesome down the road, for you or someone else. You can dispose of used cooking oil or grease properly at specialized sites. If this oil is poured down the sink, it could have potentially terrible – and expensive – consequences. Store the remaining oil in a cool, airtight container in a dark area of your kitchen. To dispose of olive oil you can recycle it, compost it, or throw it away. Cooking oil puts out about the same amount of light as a candle. If you want to dispose of spent cooking grease, the best way to do it is to pour the fat into a sealable container that you're fine with throwing away. Prepare oil for transport using a sealable oil pan, or pour it into a polyethylene container that has not held other liquids. Once the grease solidifies, Balkan says the towels can be used (responsibly!) So be patient and let it cool off completely first. Most municipal compost collection facilities won't allow grease or oil with your weekly drop off, so check your local rules before your next weekend fry-up. To determine if yours has gone bad, give it a sniff. Bacon grease or schmaltz (aka chicken grease) are well known cooking agents. Therefore, it’s important to know how to dispose of cooking oil properly. How to dispose of cooking oil? Let’s say you already tried salvaging that pot, as we discussed above to no success. Carefully pour the used cooking oil into the container and screw the lid on as tightly as possible. Heated oil can be unpredictable when poured, so it is better to wait a while before attempting the disposal. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. "It may ruin your pipes—and it will definitely become a problem for the sewage system." Another great option: pour hot grease or oil over a bin full of crumpled up paper towels. http://bit.ly/CleanMySpaceYTJoin the CleanMySpace.com Community! If it goes to a processor, the anaerobic digestion process will break down the oil and any other organic ingredients without oxygen into a gas that can be used as alternative energy. Always dispose of food waste, including cooking oils and fats, by placing them in a sealed container in your general waste. To keep from making a mess, use a funnel when pouring oil through narrow-mouthed bottle openings. Therefore, it’s important to know how to dispose of cooking oil properly. Used cooking oil needn’t be discarded after one use. If you're not into enjoying the glory of grease, maybe your pets are? Reusing it is always an option, but if it is spoilt, there are easy ways of getting rid of it. Whenever there's an excess of spent grease or oil in your kitchen, let it cool slightly, then pour it into your chosen vessel. "Never put any amount of grease or oil down the drain or in the toilet," says Elizabeth Balkan, director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. If not, collect all your oil in a container and take it to your local recycling centre. Getting rid of old cooking oil is as easy as taking out the trash -- or the recycling. This could be an empty, rinsed aluminum can fitted with a reusable silicone lid or a plastic yogurt tub or storage container. 1. How To: Dispose of Cooking Oil After you finish frying and feasting, be sure to properly and safely dispose of the cooking oil. Don’t get rid of grease using any of these methods: Source: Roto-Rooter. Disposing of cooking oil in garden soil, in small quantities, is good for it. I typically hold on to the plastic bottles in which many cooking oils are packaged, specifically for this purpose. Use melted, cooled grease in any way you might use vegetable oil for savory applications (cornbread, roasted potatoes, or any roasted vegetable for that matter). Have you heard? The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) reports that cooking oil is still one of the ... 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