After cooking fried chicken, meat, or bacon and eggs, pouring the used oil down the drain may seem like the quickest and easiest solution. However, this is the worst solution because the grease can clog kitchen pipes and local sewer systems. These situations should be avoided.
So to help you dispose of the grease properly, we’ve outlined steps you can take to dispose of waste cooking grease safely, efficiently and environmentally at home. We’ve also provided some creative tips to help you use used cooking oil in your compost and make other useful products, such as soap.
Keep in mind that even the smallest amount of grease poured down the drain daily can have a cumulative and potentially harmful effect on your home and the environment.
Reuse It
It goes without saying that before looking for ways to dispose of it, ask yourself if it can be reused. Strain the dirty oil through several layers of gauze or coffee filters, effectively reuse the oil for cooking. However, every time you cook with the oil, it spoils a bit, affecting its smokiness. This means that you should only plan to use the oil once or twice before disposing of it. Combining used oil with new oil is a great way to extend the life of your frying oil.
Let It Cool. Then Transfer to a Container
After you have finished using the oil, always allow it to cool completely before choosing a disposal method. Hot oil can be very dangerous, so you can pour it into a disposable container once it has cooled down. At this point, it is also helpful to bring the oil to a solidified state to minimize the mess. Some oils, like coconut oil, solidify at room temperature, but for other common frying oils, they need to be refrigerated or frozen to bring to solid-state. When the oil firms, it can be tossed in the trash. It’s always a good idea to throw away oil along with other absorbent items that may end up in your trash, such as coffee grounds, food scraps, paper towels, etc.
If You Have an Excess of Oil
Sure, using less oil is a great tactic to reduce the amount of oil you have to throw away, but that’s no fun either, right? If you like stir-frying, try frying in a deep frying pan rather than a large Dutch oven to reduce the amount of oil without sacrificing flavour. Still, you’ll probably end up with a lot of dirty oil. If you have more oil than you’re comfortable throwing away in a garbage bag, you can always use a grease disposal system that uses large foil bags to dispose of the oil. You should also do your research and find out what your city offers. Call your local government to find out about nearby options. Whatever you decide, just please keep as far away from your pipes as possible.