Introduction
Cooking oil is one of the most valuable ingredients in the kitchen, but it can also be an environmental hazard. Cooking oil disposal is essential, so here are some tips for getting rid of your used cooking oil safely and efficiently:
Let your oil cool down to room temperature before you dispose of it.
When the oil has cooled down to room temperature, you can pour it into a container and throw it in the trash. If you want to be extra careful, you can put your used cooking oil in a freezer or fridge to speed up this process. Once your oil has cooled down, use a thermometer to check its temperature. If it’s too hot for disposal, let it sit for another hour or two until it cools down.
Don’t pour your oil down the sink.
Oil disposal can be tricky, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the process. While pouring oil down the sink is tempting, don’t do it! This is because doing so can cause your pipes to clog and cause damage to both your home and the environment.
Oil is flammable and has a high viscosity (resistance to flow). When poured down sinks or toilets without proper treatment, oil can solidify in drains and form clogs that eventually block them altogether—and then you have no choice but to call a plumber. Additionally, suppose these oils get into waterways through runoff from storm drains or sewer systems. In that case, they will contaminate any waterway they enter and cause ecosystem damage by killing aquatic life directly or indirectly through toxic runoff from farms where fertiliser was applied using petroleum-based products instead of those derived from natural sources such as plants or animals (which are biodegradable).
Don’t put your oil in the trash can.
When you think of the trash can, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Rubbish, right? Garbage. And with good reason: throwing your used cooking oil in a trash can is almost like throwing money away. But don’t just take our word for it—the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has some great tips on how to dispose of your cooking oil in an environmentally friendly way.
Here are some favourites:
- Don’t put your oil in the trash! Why would anyone do such a thing? Well, because sometimes it feels better than other options…but only if you don’t know any better or haven’t been told otherwise. To help inform others about proper disposal methods, let’s look at common ways people dispose of cooking oil.
- Throw it down the drain: This is terrible news, bears, because not only does this contaminate wastewater treatment plants with harmful chemicals from fats and grease buildup inside pipes. It also leads to clogged pipes which can cause flooding during heavy rains.
Make sure you do it properly to avoid future problems.
There are many ways to eliminate cooking oil disposal, but you must ensure you do it properly to avoid future problems.
If you just throw it in the trash:
If the container and lid are tightly sealed, you should only put used cooking oil down your drain or garbage disposal. If there is any chance that the container or lid is not completely airtight, use a filter before pouring the dirty oil into your sink or garbage disposal. Make sure that both ends of your filter are securely fastened! If they aren’t secured tightly enough, they might leak as well!
Conclusion
There are many ways to get rid of cooking oil, but you must ensure you do it properly to avoid future problems. If you want to dispose of your cooking oil properly, many options are available to keep it away from our water systems and air quality.
