Commonly referred to as FOG, fats oils, and grease which includes used cooking oils can be a serious problem for your establishment’s plumbing as well as wastewater collection system. Even if followed with soap or hot water or put down the garbage disposal or flushed down the toilet, used cooking oil doesn’t disappear. Instead, it solidifies into thick layers inside drainpipes, sewer pipelines and sewer lift stations thus constricting the flow of water and possible blocking up your plumbing system. This is usually smelly, messy and costly to clean up. Therefore it is advisable to get used cooking oil collection services.
Putting grease where it belongs
If you want to recycle used cooking oil here properly is what you need to do:
• Allow the used cooking oil to settle
• Carefully pour the used and now cool cooking oil into a substantial wax-coated leak proof or, a sturdy plastic container such as an original juice carton that is no larger than 5 gallons
• Cap the container so that it is secure and the cooking oil is safe from contamination
• Store the container in a cool and safe place until you have filled it
• Ensure you don’t mix the grease with any other products or liquids
• Once the container is full phone a used cooking oil collection company such as MBP Solutions to pick it for recycling
Other useful tips for avoiding FOG congestion
• Ensure you pour leftover cooking oil and grease into a separate container then cool and dispose of as mentioned above
• Teach your employees or family to follow your grease-fighting techniques
• Either use paper towels to clean out leftover food or scrape out the residue into the trash can or before washing dishes, pots and pans
• Clean out leftover foods AMD grease from the sink or any drainage and put it in the trash
How is used cooking oil recycled?
Since it has a high BTU (British Thermal Unit) value, used cooking oil can be recycled in some ways. However, it is mainly made into a fuel that can be run in diesel engines. While biodiesel is mostly made through a chemical conversion process, some companies also ultra-filter the oil for direct use as fuel. Biodiesel is not only safe bit also biodegradable thus producing fewer air pollutants when compared to petroleum-based diesel.
Biodiesel is ideal for power industries, diesel fuel to fuel vehicles and heating homes. Since it has less carbon dioxide emissions, biodiesel helps to reduce greenhouse gases.
Oils and fats make soap as well as cosmetic products. Used cooking oil has been used to make soap for hundreds of years. This is why many companies are coming up with multiple recipes to utilize used cooking oil to create a variety of soap products.
In agriculture, livestock is growing exponentially. For this reason, the animals that are being raised for our consumption should also be well fed. Since a portion of their diet is fat, greases and used cooking oil are also used in the production of fertilizers.
Once the used cooking oil is collected and cleaned it is taken to an animal feed processor for extra finishing where it is stabilized, and its quality raised to food grade. Once the used cooling oil has been processed to the highest standards of feed quality, it is introduced to the livestock. This option then becomes a better alternative as compared to clearing forests for tillable land to grow animal food. Since this ensures that less land is used, in turn, the plants and trees purifying the air, we breathe to get to stay intact.
Remember that used cooking oil is recyclable, and if you generate it in large amounts, then you should consider getting used cooking oil collection services. By doing so, you’re helping the environment in so many ways including reducing the rate of global warming and sewer pipeline blockages. Aside from that, it is your moral duty to dispose of waste safely, and that includes used cooking oil.