Before you can recycle or properly dispose of your used fryer grease, you must first remove it from your fryers. With over a decade of experience in assisting restaurants and other establishments in oil collection, SeQuential understands how to ensure grease safety for your employees and customers. Read on to learn how to best handle used fryer grease prior to recycling.
Six Steps for Fryer Grease Safety
To ensure the safety of your employees and everyone in and around your establishment, we recommend incorporating these steps into your oil management plan, as outlined by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service:
- Gather the necessary tools, including a gas mask, rubber gloves, coveralls and a collection container.
- Turn off the fryer, unplug it and allow the oil to cool completely.
- Gently detach the lid from the fryer to avoid any spills or damage.
- Pour the grease into a metal container or sturdy plastic container with a strong seal – do not pour it down the drain.
- Scrape the sides of the container and remove any remaining solid food waste from the used oil.
For more information read our tips about best practices for handling used cooking oil.
Importance of Regular Maintenance
In addition to the steps above, which help ensure safety while handling used fryer grease, all restaurants should make regular grease trap maintenance a top priority. Failure to inspect and clean grease traps can lead to catastrophic consequences for your business, including:
- Rancid and noxious fumes from fats, oils and greases (FOG) that can attract vermin
- Sewer blockage from solidified grease within pipes, which can lead to kitchen closures and environmentally dangerous overflows
- Hefty fines for noncompliance with local grease disposal regulations
We service countless hospitality establishments with our hassle-free grease trap cleaning services that ensure your business is in regulation with local laws and enhance your fryer grease safety protocols. We’re members of the Preferred Pumper Program in the Pacific Northwest and partner closely with local grease inspectors. We’ll even do all the paperwork!
Recycle with SeQuential
In addition to following proper safety procedures for emptying your fryer, you should also consider recycling your oil. When you recycle your used cooking oil with SeQuential, you’re not only ensuring its safe handling you’re are also supporting the local economy. We’ll organize a schedule to pick up your restaurant’s grease, which you can store in one of our containers – all for free. We then transport it to one of our West Coast refineries to give the oil a new life by turning it into renewable fuel, a local, low carbon alternative to petroleum. To learn more or to get started, contact us today.