Used cooking oil from offers an incredible source for creating low carbon renewable fuel. This type of fuel helps create a greener planet and a more robust local economy. SeQuential provides restaurants and other businesses with all of the tools necessary to collect their used oil for recycling. In order to make renewable fuel, the used cooking oil needs to be free of unusable byproducts. We have compiled a helpful list of things to look out for so you can recycle the most usable, clean cooking oil possible.
Food Scraps
Food is everything in a kitchen, but it can turn used cooking oil into unusable waste material. Food scraps often make their way into used cooking oil containers through dishware, cooking utensils, and cookware. Because the renewable fuel making process requires the used cooking oil to be free from impurities (also called feedstock), having food scraps inside the container will contaminate the used oil. SeQuential’s collection containers come with screens on their lids that prevent food scraps from entering the container.
Dirty Water
Sometimes water gets into cooking pans, or kitchen staff will accidentally get dishwater into the used cooking oil that is intended for the bin. This water can introduce soap and dilute the oil which makes it unusable.
Chemicals
Chemicals from cleaning dishes or kitchen surfaces can be introduced into used cooking oil, and because the oil is treated using other chemicals in order to make renewable fuel, this can render the feedstock useless and contaminate the bin and all the oil already collected.
How to Avoid Non-Usable Byproducts
To ensure your cooking oil can be recycled, follow SeQuential’s best practices for keeping used cooking oil and collection containers clean and free of unusable byproducts. Carefully skimming the fats off of the used cooking oil, and doing frequent, visual inspections of your oil before you put it into your container will ensure that your used cooking oil is debris and food-free. Periodically you should scrape the grate at the top of your collection container to remove fats and other byproducts that can clog the container and make it easier to introduce non-usable materials into the bin. Make sure everyone who has access to your container knows that it is meant only for cooking oil.
We Can Help You
Once you decide you want to turn your used cooking oil into renewable fuel, we provide you with a free collection container, and we set a pickup schedule on a frequency that meets your business needs. Our technicians are highly skilled experts and we are happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about your collection container. We want to make sure you’re able to recycle your oil, and that we are able to use it to give it a second life and reduce the local carbon footprint. Contact us today and take a look at the grease trap maintenance services we provide.