What's the proper way to dispose of used fats & oils?

Question

Down the drain? Does it depend on the type? With bacon fat, I usually let it solidify in a cup lined with foil, and then throw it out. With used canola oil, I'm not quite sure what to do because it doesn't solidify.

Asked by Knarf Navillus

Answer

Never down the drain. We've had a few incidents in my neighborhood where the sewer pipes were clogged with fat, and a few people's basements flooded with sewage as a result.

For fats that solidify, let them do so, then pitch them in your regular garbage. Chill it in the fridge if you need to get it to harden up. For ones that don't, I put them into a sealable bottle, and pitch them that way, but it's possible that your area might take it as part of a recycling effort.

(ours does for motor oil; I've never checked at the drop off site if they take cooking oils or not).

update : I was answering this assuming this was a question for home chefs; for restaurants, some places (eg, the state of Maryland) require a system for catching grease that's been washed down the sink. It's my understanding that they're fairly expensive (a couple thousand dollars US), but the fines for not having one installed may be even more, and they won't let new restaurants open without one.

Answered by Joe

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