When it comes to leftover oil, the first method of disposal that comes to the minds of many is to pour it all down a kitchen sink, but this is in fact one of the worst things you can do. Not only can it block your drains, but it can also have detrimental effects on the entire drainage system that serves your area.
This is because grease and oil will eventually combine with everything else in the sewage system that shouldn’t be there, such as wet wipes. When bound together, it can create huge masses of heavy, dense, oily waste, also known as ‘fatbergs’, that can only be removed manually and it can be a hugely expensive and time-consuming task.
Cases of ‘fatbergs’ in the UK
According to HUFFPOST, a fatberg the size of a London bus was found under the streets of Kingston, Surrey in 2013. The problem was only discovered once neighbours in the area started to complain that they couldn’t flush their toilets. Gordon Hailwood, a Waste Contracts Supervisor for Thames Water told the BBC that “ If we hadn’t discovered it in time, raw sewage could have started spurting out of manholes across the whole of Kingston”.
The HUFFPOST also reported that Thames Water spends approximately $1 million a month unblocking clogged sewage systems. The Londonist stated that teams remove enough fatty waste from the sewers to fill nine double-decker buses in just one night. But the problem didn’t stop there.
Four years later, Whitechapel, London, uncovered an enormous mound of congealed fat and other waste products in the sewage system. According to The Guardian, this huge mass of oil, fat, nappies and wet wipes was the same weight as eleven double-decker buses and could reportedly fill the entire length of two football pitches. It’s one of the largest fatbergs ever found by Thames Water and if it had remained undiscovered, it could have caused raw sewage to flow out onto the streets of the Capital.
Matt Rimmer, Head of Waste Networks for Thames Water, told The Guardian that “This fatberg is up there with the biggest we’ve ever seen. It’s a total monster and taking a lot of manpower and machinery to remove as it’s set hard. It’s basically like trying to break up concrete. It’s frustrating as these situations are totally avoidable and caused by fat, oil and grease being washed down sinks and wipes flushed down the loo”.
Where Thames Water and other water companies face this ever-growing challenge to keep their sewers clear, Thames Water reportedly were looking into making the fatbergs they find into biodiesel – a beneficial, environmentally-friendly way of disposing of such waste, much like our sole aim here at Cater Oils.
What can you do with your used oil?
Where those in the home will be tempted to tip even the smallest amount of oil down the drain, commercial oil users will be extremely limited in ways in which they can dispose of copious amounts of oil, but that’s where Cater Oils come in.
How to dispose of waste oil at home
When dealing with waste oil in the home, you should pour it into a container and store appropriately until it can be thrown away with general household waste. However, there are a few things you should do beforehand:
- Make sure the oil is cool enough to pour into a container
- Opt for disposable containers, such as takeaway boxes, plastic bottle or juice cartons
- Once it’s been poured into the container, seal it appropriately to prevent leaks
- You can now add this to your general waste bin
If you know anyone who owns a restaurant, or know of any that are willing to take any leftover oil you might have, bring it there. They’ll likely tip this in with their own waste oil ready for collection by companies such as Cater Oils.
You’ll also be able to throw your used oil on your compost heap, if you have one, but only if you’re using vegetable oil. This is because this oil is made from a number of different things, including:
- Soy
- Corn
- Grape-seed
- Coconut
- Sunflower
- Olives
How to dispose of waste oil in the workplace
When dealing with large amounts of waste oil, you should look to contact oil collection experts such as Cater Oils. We’re highly-experienced, reliable and responsible when it comes to the collection and disposal of your used oil.
Cater Oils are able to collect used cooking oil near you and turn it into bio-diesel. 100% of the waste cooking oil we collect is recycled, helping to minimise your carbon footprint. We’re fully-licensed and completely dedicated to the safe and eco-friendly disposal of waste cooking oil near you.
To take complete advantage of the services we have available to you, you’ll be able to arrange a waste cooking oil collection contract with us, free of charge. We also endeavour to provide you with a duty of care waste transfer ticket for your records. This gives you absolute peace of mind that you’re working with a legally-compliant company when choosing Cater Oils to collect waste cooking oil near you.
If you’d like more information about the used cooking oil collection service we have available, get in touch with a member of our professional, knowledgeable team today – we’re always on hand to help.
