Cooking oil is a staple in restaurant kitchens. But after chefs fry and sauté foods, the remaining oil is sometimes, without hesitation, dumped down the kitchen drain. Rather than contribute to a range of potential issues, restauranteurs are urged to recycle their used cooking oil and reap its many benefits.
1. Avoid Clogged Kitchen Pipes
The last thing a busy restauranteur needs is a clogged plumbing system to disrupt kitchen operations. Pouring used cooking oil down the drain will eventually clog or crack the pipes. As the oil hardens over time, it will expand and create blockages that are expensive to fix.
The most accessible solution to circumventing blockages in the plumbing system is to schedule regular used cooking oil pickups with a reputable cooking oil collection company. Utilizing professional services to properly discard used cooking oil will prevent the waste from destroying the kitchen pipes.
2. Protect Local Sewer Lines
When recycling used cooking oil, the restaurant’s plumbing system is immediately protected. However, the local municipality’s sewer lines are also safeguarded. Used cooking oil poured down sewer pipes makes drainage impossible, resulting in irreversible damage to the sewer and overflows to the streets.
3. Create Renewable Energy
Innovation allows used cooking oil to be converted into renewable fuels. As a renewable alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuels, renewable fuels are used in diesel engines to power vehicles and machines and heat buildings. In the US, most renewable fuels are produced from soybean oil and used cooking oil.
4. Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, significantly compromise the integrity of the earth’s ozone layer, which serves to protect the earth from the sun’s UV rays. Rising world temperatures are also an adverse consequence of greenhouse gas emissions.
Once cooking oil is recycled, renewable fuels are created. renewable fuels are clean and, therefore, minimize pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions are reduced when utilizing renewable fuels. Using renewable fuels helps to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and industries up to 90 percent.
5. Rely on Domestic Oil Resources
The US Energy Information Administration data from 2019 indicates that the US imported 9.14 million barrels per day of petroleum from 90 countries, which included Canada, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The imported petroleum included renewable fuel, like renewable diesel and ethanol.
When restauranteurs recycle used cooking oil, they help to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil resources. A dependence on domestic renewable fuel resources reduces potential threats to the nation’s homeland security and economic health, especially in instances of an oil embargo.
6. Lower Repair Costs
As mentioned, recycling used cooking oil will prevent the ruin of the kitchen’s plumbing system. An added benefit is that the proper disposal of cooking oil with an oil collection and recycling company will prevent the expenses associated with repairing a clogged or cracked pipe.
7. Follow Local Regulations
Dumping used cooking oil down the sewer drain is illegal in some counties. Noncompliance of cooking oil disposal laws can result in fines or even jail time in some municipalities. Contracting with an oil collection company is necessary to remain compliant with local regulations.
8. Maintain a Good Reputation
Discarding 30 to 50 gallons of used cooking oil in a sewer drain can affect a restaurant’s reputation. Restaurants have come under fire after videos of employees throwing waste oil in a storm drain went viral. Being compliant with oil waste regulations will prevent the tarnishing of a restaurant’s repute.
9. Support the Local Economy
Restaurants that partner with a cooking oil recycling and collection company help these companies generate billions of dollars in revenue. In turn, the cooking oil collection companies support the local economy—for every $100 spent with local companies, over half stays in the community.
10. Create New Jobs
The extra money that results from large-scale cooking oil recycling not only stays in the local community, but helps create new jobs, such as those in the fields of engineering, technology, accounting, marketing and training. Plus, surplus dollars provide the economic stimulus for emerging area businesses.
Restauranteurs who embrace the recycling of used cooking oil are advised to follow best practices. Schedule used cooking oil collections with reputable companies. Seek information about proper disposal of cooking oil from the local environmental health office and building control department.
When storing used cooking oil, place the containers away from the sewer drain and prevent accidental spills or leaks into the sewage system. Control unpleasant odors and vermin infestations in the restaurant by using airtight containers. Use and empty the grease trap regularly.
Train employees to avoid discarding used cooking oil in the storm drain and down the kitchen sink. Include policies for properly handling of used cooking oil in the employee handbook. Most importantly, partner with a used cooking oil collection company, like Mahoney Environmental.
Mahoney Environmental services are designed to help restaurants discard their used cooking oil in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way. We recycle used cooking oiland turn it into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
Our specialists also deliver cooking oil so your supply remains fresh and abundant.
In addition to our cooking oil collection and recycling services, Mahoney Environmental technicians are trained to expertly maintain grease traps of all types, whether indoor or outdoor, in commercial kitchens. We’ll ensure the grease traps function optimally and repair ones that require fixing.
If your restaurant establishment would benefit from cooking oil equipment design and installation, Mahoney Environmental specialists are available. We design automated systems, bulk containers for used cooking oil and used cooking oil equipment —to entirely fit your kitchen’s specific needs.
Countless satisfied customers are part of the Mahoney Environmental Preferred Oil Program. All cooking oil needs are met, from the collection of oil to maintenance of equipment to delivery of fresh oil. Call us at 800-892-9392 when you seek to work with a cooking oil recycling company with a reputation for excellence.
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