Why It's A Bad Idea (Not Just Legally) To Dispose of Used Cooking Oil in the Kitchen Sink

When you own or manage a food business that generates pounds of used cooking oil, it is easy for plenty of that oil to find its way to the sink. However, even if only a minimal amount of the same keeps going down the sinks, it will accumulate, and eventually cause a serious clogging problem. Besides, there is no reason why you should waste it if you can sell the used frying oil for extra revenue.

Here are more reasons why you should never allow cooking oil in the sink:

1. It will breed microbes that come back to infect your food

The more oil you keep pouring in the sink, the more of the same that lodges on the pipes and starts to solidify.

Even if most of the cooking oil flows down to the grease trap, some will definitely stick to the pipes. In any case, even if it passes, it will bring about the need to empty and clean the grease trap more frequently, at your bill of course.

But that is not even where the real danger is. As the grease accumulates inside your plumbing, it “ripens” and microbes start to feed on it.

Bacteria, mold, and yeast feed on these nutrients, and then they start finding their way into your kitchen, and your food. No matter how well you clean up, the bacteria will breed inside the kitchen plumbing, and some will come to infect your food.

By ignoring the proper disposal of fryer oil, you will be putting the health of your restaurant employees, and customers under serious health risk.

2. You could face a hefty plumbing repair bill soon

As the oil touches the cold surfaces of the pipe, a little amount will start to solidify and stay attached. This keeps happening, gradually reducing the diameter of the pipes, and you end up with a hefty plumbing overhaul bill.

The average hourly rate for plumbing jobs across the nation is $45 to $150, while the average job cost is between $125 and $450. This is high, and you could definitely put such money to good use elsewhere in your business. Besides, if you do not stop pouring oil down the sink, you will always need to a have a plumber on speed dial.

When it cools down or comes into contact with a cold surface, fat solidifies and forms what is referred to as a “fatberg” in plumbing circles. Dislodging this will cost you a good amount of money.

The telltale signs of clogged sink drainage include slow drainage or no drainage at all. If the grease has solidified inside the pipes for some time, even pouring gallons of hot water in the sink might not help.

3. Noxious odor will develop

When you have been pouring fryer oil in the sink, it flows to the grease interceptor, and it solidifies. Some of the oils and fats solidify inside the pipes and stay stuck there.

Soon after, microorganisms start feeding on the grease, causing the production of sulfuric and hydrogen sulfide gases. These gases have a rotten egg smell, that starts backing up the sink, the floor drain, and permeates the air in your kitchen.

The odor can also waft towards the restaurant sitting area and cause a serious business disruption. If it moves to the neighborhood, they will call the authorities on you, and you could face strict action due to your poor proper disposal of cooking oil.

Even washing down the grease with hot water is only counterproductive in the long run, since it means the grease trap fills faster than it should.

Remember, the rule for emptying the FOG trap is when the grease makes 25% of the tank’s content. The more oil you let go in the sink, the sooner you will have to empty the grease tank, costing you more cash.

4. You are doing great harm to the sewerage system

Improper handling of cooking oil has far-reaching effects, so it is not only you who will suffer the consequences, but many people as well.

When oils and fats keep getting into the sewerage system, they attach to the walls, and keep on reducing the diameter with time. This happens until the water flow into the sewerage system slows down, and when the pipes are fully clogged, it starts backing up.

This is how grease starts backing up through the manhole covers and flows onto the streets, posing a serious health risk. While hydro-jetting can help with the pipework, it will cost you. Preventive measures are better than curative measures.

You might argue that your fats and oils are going into the grease interceptor, but if you keep pouring more down the sink and flushing it with hot water, the grease eventually finds its way into the sewerage system.

You might never get caught or face stiff penalties, but this does not negate the harm that your actions do to the environment.

Cooking oil disposal FAQ

What should you do if someone pours hot cooking oil in the sink?

It is hard to reverse this, so you should follow up with plenty of hot water. That will flush the oil all the way down to the grease trap, where it will solidify and remain in the tank to be removed later. Most importantly, sensitize the kitchen employees to never let cooking oil go in the sink.

What is the best way to dispose of cooking oil?

There are various ways to take care of your fryer oil. Try the following:

Reuse if possible – It is possible to cook different types of food in fryer oil, as long as the flavors will not react. Therefore, find out what foods you can fry in the used oil, and reuse as much as possible.

Cool the oil down and pour it in designated containers – Let the used oil cool down for hours, and then transfer it to the designated containers to await collection. The containers holding the oil should be clearly marked to prevent accidents.

Recycle the fryer oil – This is the best thing that you can do for your old cooking oil. It can be recycled into biodiesel that is then used to power vehicles, farm machinery and other things. It prevents quite a lot of oil from going to harm the environment.

Wrapping it up

Used fryer oil can pile up on you fast, especially if you have a big restaurant, creating a huge mess in your business, and breeding disease-causing microbes.

This is why you need to consult us so that we can arrange how to collect your cooking oil. We shall do it cleanly by providing you with clean, tightly-sealed containers, and we shall receipt all the oil that we collect.

Request service today to get free, no obligation advice and estimate for collecting your used oil and pumping your grease trap.

Ignore all the advice out there about pouring hot water in the sink, using baking soda, and many more. Just prevent the oil from getting into the sink altogether.