10 Creative and Eco-Friendly Ways to Recycle Cooking Oil

You will be happy to know that finding ways to recycle your used cooking oil can even earn you an extra income. However, to get to a place where you can earn rebates for your used frying oil, you need to know how to store it right, so that you do not diminish its “recyclability.” To make sure you handle your oil right, partner with a good company for used cooking oil collection.

Why recycling used frying oil is mainly a preserve of the commercial kitchens, well, you also need to recycle your cooking oil at home. You will be surprised how many uses you can put the old oil to.   

You might be generating just a little amount of used cooking oil in your kitchen, but no oil is too little to recycle. It helps the environment a lot if you do your role in recycling. Thankfully, it is not too hard, and here, you will see several creative ways for re-purposing the old cooking oil.

1. Why you need to recycle your cooking oil

Recycling used cooking oil offers numerous benefits, not only for the food establishments that generate it, but for the planet as a whole. Each time a gallon of used cooking oil is repurposed, it reduces the waste going to landfills and minimizes the risk of contaminating water sources and the environment.

The best part is that if you are the one producing the used oil, recycling it is not only free, but it actually pays. All you need to do is pour the hot cooking oil from the fryers into containers provided by the recycling company. The recycling company will then collect the oil and leave empty containers for future use.

If you are recycling cooking oil from your residential kitchen, you will not be paid for the oil, but the company collecting the oil handles it responsibly. Old grease can be too much to handle, so knowing where you can dump it helps.

Responsible handling of the old fryer oil helps to keep pests and rodents away. You will also find it easier to keep your kitchen clean if you recycle your oil.

Here are some nice ways to recycle the frying oil that you generate in your kitchen:

2. Get the used oil recycled into biodiesel

Converting used cooking oil to biodiesel is one of the eco-friendliest recycling methods. Biodiesel emits about 85% less carbon than the fossil fuels. Biodiesel can be used to power heavy farm machinery or any diesel engine without requiring modifications.

Turning your used cooking oil into biodiesel is not something that you can do at home, unless you are Sheldon in the TV show Young Sheldon. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the services of a Used Cooking Oil Recycling Company. Just find out where you can drop the old cooking oil from your kitchen, and the recycling company will handle the rest.

When you recycle your used fryer oil into biodiesel, you play an important part in protecting the ozone layer. After collection, the oil is processed to remove food particles and add preservatives, that turn it into biofuel. This burns more efficiently and with minimal smoke emissions.

Increasing biodiesel availability means less drilling for fossil fuels, which helps conserve natural resources. This is what your efforts to recycle the used cooking oil will do, and mean for the Mother Earth.

But apart from recycling used oil into biodiesel, there are other simpler, more creative ways to reuse your frying oil, as you will see below:

3. Furniture cleaning and maintenance

Homeowners can repurpose a small amount of used cooking oil to clean and condition their leather furniture.

Leather has its natural moisture. However, with exposure, changes in humidity levels and other conditions, it dries up. Unfortunately, this causes cracks in the leather, ruining its quality.

Using vegetable-based oil, apply a thin coat to leather surfaces to help prevent cracking and keeps them looking as good as new.

The old oil acts as a moisturizer, keeping the leather furniture in excellent condition while minimizing the oil waste going to landfills.

Do not apply too much oil on your leather items, and most importantly, make sure the oil does not have food particles so that it does not attract bugs.

Go very minimal, so that the leather can absorb all the oil.

4. Composting small amounts of the oil

It is possible to compost some of the cooking oil, but only in small amounts. If you add too much of the oil, it will prevent the proper composting. The oil clumps when temperatures drop, reducing airflow inside the compost. You know, compost needs air to decompose properly.

For proper composting, add the oil sparingly to avoid slowing down the process. Your recycling company can offer guidance on how much cooking oil is safe for making the compost manure.

5. Lubricate door hinges and other parts

Used cooking oil can work as a natural lubricant for minor home tasks, like oiling the door hinges, locks, and toys that have moving parts.

This is a useful alternative for individuals who generate small amounts of oil. Avoid using it for larger machinery, as it’s not suitable for vehicles or complex devices.

Cooking oil can also protect metal parts from rust. It creates a layer on the surface of the metal, which prevents the entry of oxygen and moisture, which are the main components that cause corrosion.

6. Add the oil to your pet food

Freshly used cooking oil can serve as a pet food additive, especially if it was used to cook fish, chicken, or meats. The smell of meat, and the flavors in the oil, can even entice your pets to eat more of their food.

A few drops can enhance your pet’s appetite and improve their fur coat’s shine. Be cautious not to add too much, as excessive oil can harm your pets.

If the oil is old or improperly stored, avoid using it, as it may contain harmful bacteria. If you are not sure about adding the used fryer oil to your pet food, you could always ask your vet.

You could also add the oil to your chicken feed. If you keep pigs, you know they will eat almost anything, so do not let your old oil go to waste.

7. Make homemade soap

Used cooking oil can be used to make homemade soap by combining it with lye and other natural ingredients. This eco-friendly soap works well for cleaning and can help reduce the oil going to waste.

There are so many videos on the internet about making soaps and detergents. You can make use of them, and save the money you would have used to buy bar soaps. You can also give away some of the soaps to your family and friends, or sell it.

8. Make candles and oil lamps

In the past, people used oil lamps, by just dipping a wicking material in a small container of oil. Today, you can do the same, and add a medieval touch to your porch.

Used cooking oil can be repurposed into homemade oil lamps or candles. This approach provides a natural lighting source and uses up oil that might otherwise be discarded.

Please note that such oil lamps may produce smoke, and soot that could ruin your walls, ceilings, and surfaces. Therefore, use the lamps in a safe place.

9. The old cooking oil is a good wood preservative

Like leather, wood also has its natural moisture, which it unfortunately loses with time and exposure to different elements. And still, like leather, wood can benefit a lot from used cooking oil. Just apply it sparingly and give your wood items a new lease of life.

The oil will prevent drying and cracking. Apply a small amount to your wooden items to keep them in good condition.

10. Eco-friendly insect repellent

Summer is bug and insect season, so you have to buy insect repellents. However, save the money you could have used on that, and make your own homemade insect and bug repellent.  

Used cooking oil can act as a carrier oil in natural insect repellents. Adding essential oils like citronella or eucalyptus can help repel insects in outdoor spaces.

11. Bonus: Just give the used oil away

It is not all the time that you can reuse your old cooking oil yourself. Also, it may not be possible to subscribe to used cooking oil pickup and recycling services. However, that does not mean your old oil has to go to waste.

You can give it away. Some farms accept used cooking oil as an additive to animal feed or for processing as bio fuel, creating a productive recycling option and supporting local agricultural initiatives. You can give such oil to them.

Conclusion

Everyone comes into contact with cooking oil a few times a day. Therefore, the “problem’ of proper oil disposal is everyone’s. Knowing how to reuse the oil can save you money, and prevent most of it from going to the landfills.

Whether you are a restaurant owner producing large amounts of used cooking oil daily or a homeowner making just smaller amounts, you need to know how to recycle the oil.

Avoid pouring hot oil down the sink, since it could clog the plumbing or seep into the municipal sewer systems.

No amount of used oil is too little to reuse. If you can find some use for it, do not waste it. Just imagine the benefit to the environment if we all did our part in re-purposing anything that can be reused.

If you are not sure what to do with your old oil, consider used vegetable oil pickup and recycling from a renowned company.

Read More: Why You Should Recycle Your Used Cooking Oil