What is the best way to dispose of used cooking oil?

Question

My wife (who's from Colombia) made a selection of 'fritos' last night, they were delicious! However, before I met her, I was not much into deep pan frying and now I realize I don't know what to do with the maybe 1-inch deep pan of oil which is left. I remember my mum used to save the oil when I was a kid, but I vaguely remember learning since then that that's not the best thing to do. Right now, I have simply bottled up the oil in empty water bottles - I'm not going to use it again. But should I just throw them in the bin now? Take them some where, or what?!?

Answer 1

I would imagine one small bottle of oil wont make much difference in your household bin.
the people telling you to recycle it are out of there heads why? one small bottle so you trail of to the local dumpit site more than likely in a car and waste more of your carbon footprint than what than what you are saving to be honest a silly thing to do. however if you had a 25 litre drum of the stuff it would be worth it. just throw the stuff in the bin not enough to be concerned about

Answer 2

We always put ours in jars with lids and throw in the bin- you simply cannot go around dumping it restaurant bins and you should never throw it down the sink. Neither should you pour it down any drain- it collects and clogs the main drains- it does not wash away contrary to belief and that is why our drains flood into the roads when it rains. It is not something you can put loose into your bin for obvious reasons. The best way to dispose is in a container in your bin- it will be crushed when it gets to the tip anyway and will not cause much damage anywhere.

Answer 3

Filter it and put it in your DIESEL car , you will be saving the environment by not dumping it. Make sure you have plenty of normal diesel fuel in the tank.
Under NO circumstances put it in your bin, you will be fined.
Don't paint your fence with it , it attracts vermin, and does not preserve wood.
PS It's great that you have a chance to learn Spanish, I am trying.

Answer 4

Don't just chuck it in the bin. Your local tip may have a facility for receiving this, or restaurants and the like usually have an arrangement with someone who collects it for recycling. You could be polite & ask them if you can put yours with theirs, or . . .

Answer 5

It can be & is recycled by most resturants(for making industial lubricants & such). look behind the kitchen of your local greasy spoon & they should have a grease bin. Dump your old cooking oil in there.

Answer 6

The next time you have a gallon jug you can pour it in that and take it to a recycling center if you want. I would just take outside and poor on the ground.

Answer 7

I put mine down the loo, but make sure before you flush you put lots of washing up liquid in the pan..it breaks up the Greece so it doesn't clog.

Answer 8

get a 5 gallon bucket of sand and pour used oil in on the sand..you can then use it to stick yard tools in to coat them and clean them shovels trimmers,,,also saw blades etc.

Answer 9

Have you got a wooden garden fence.Tip or brush the oil on it.It will help preserve the wood.

Answer 10

I do the same - old water bottles dumped in with the regular rubbish
http://www.recyclenow.com/what_more_can_i_do/can_it_be_recycled/cooking_oil.html