After frying up a crispy batch of homemade fried chicken, french fries or any other delicious meal in your home, figuring out what to do with all of that used cooking oil in your pot can be confusing. Instead of looking for a way to dispose of this oil right away, you should look for ways to recycle. Recycling used cooking oil is better for the environment and the well being of the community. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways you can recycle home cooking oil safely.
Recycle By Using Again
Before you go ahead and get rid of all that expensive oil you just used, you may want to think about saving it for another time. While oil isn’t good for infinite uses, you can use it one to two additional times to save yourself some money. Simply filter your used oil through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to get rid of any food particles. Then store your oil in an airtight container away from any sunlight. Just make sure the oil doesn’t smell rancid before using it again. Keep in mind that the smoke point of your oil will decrease each time you use it.
Third-Party Recyclers
Oil is basically pure energy, meaning there are likely to be a lot of places in your city where you can give your oil to someone who has use for it. In many cities, the government will run a recycling program to turn cooking oil into renewable fuel for city-owned vehicles. Private businesses like SeQuential also recycle used cooking oil into fuel or bioproducts that can be used for a wide range of manufacturing purposes. You can find other organizations in the area who recycle by doing a simple web search or visiting a site like Earth 911.
What Not to Do with Your Oil
Many people don’t feel like they have the time or energy to recycle home cooking oil, so they look for easy ways to dispose of it. Unfortunately, some of the most common sense disposal methods can cause serious problems. Oil poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet can clog your drains or damage the city’s sewer system. Putting oil in a compost bin can destroy the microbial reactions taking place, and putting hot oil in the garbage can start a fire.