Cooking oil poured down the sink cools, sets and sticks to the inside of your pipes.
Scottish Water has reported around 35,000 blockages a year across Scotland, with an estimated 80% caused by things that shouldn’t go down sinks and toilets.
If there’s oil in the pan, leave it to cool first.
The safest way to dispose of used cooking oil is to seal it in a container, then put small amounts in the bin and take larger quantities to a recycling centre.
Why cooking oil shouldn’t go down the sink or the sewer – Written by Glasgow’s rubbish remover experts
Oil and fat harden as they cool, and a thin coat of grease on a pipe wall catches debris in the pipes.
Over time that build-up clogs the pipe, and in the sewer the same grease binds with wipes to create damaging fatbergs.
Running hot water and washing-up liquid after the oil doesn’t help, because the grease only travels further along the pipe before it sets again.
A severe blockage can send sewage back into a home.
How to dispose of used cooking oil after frying
Let the oil cool, then seal it
Wait for the oil to cool completely, because hot oil could melt a plastic container or burn you.
Then pour it into a sealed container, such as a plastic bottle, a milk carton or a tub with a lid.
A glass jar works well for oil you plan to reuse, but plastic is safer for oil that’s going in the bin.
Soak up spills and wipe the pan with paper towels before washing it, and put the towels in the bin too.
Which bin the container goes in
Zero Waste Scotland advises pouring the cooled oil into a sealed plastic container and putting it in the general waste bin.
Check your council’s guidance first.
Pouring oil directly into the bin or a bin bag lets it leak, so always seal the container.
Fat that has already set
Lard and dripping that have set solid in the pan can be scraped into a sealed container with a spatula and treated like liquid oil.
Leaving the pan overnight makes the fat easier to scrape out.
Disposing of cooking oil in bigger quantities
A deep fryer or a batch of fat from a roast produces a quantity that a bin can’t sensibly take.
Pour it into a sealed container and take it to a recycling centre, where used cooking oil is collected for recycling, often into biofuel, instead of going to landfill.
Check the site before you travel, label the container with its contents, and keep it upright and away from heat until you can make the trip.
Not all recycling centres accept cooking oil. Glasgow City Council don’t currently list it among the waste its centres take, so check with your council before you travel.
Businesses can’t use household routes, and a restaurant or takeaway has to hand its used cooking oil to a registered waste carrier.
Used cooking oil isn’t classed as hazardous waste, but it still has to be stored and collected properly so it doesn’t leak or end up in the drains.
Reusing and recycling cooking oil at home
Leftover cooking oil from shallow frying can be strained through a fine filter or a paper towel and stored in a sealed jar in a cool, dark cupboard for another use.
Throw old oil out when it smells off, looks dark or foams in the pan.
Label the jar with the date so you know how long the oil has been stored.
Cooking fat from chicken or bacon can go into a pot with bird seed and nuts, then set in the fridge or freezer.
Hang it outside as a bird feeder to feed the wildlife during cold weather.
What not to do with cooking oil
Never pour cooking oil on the garden or into a compost heap of food waste.
Oil coats soil and roots, takes a long time to break down and attracts rats and foxes, and it can harm plants and wildlife if it runs into a watercourse.
Dumping it in a bin store, a street drain or on open ground is fly-tipping and causes pollution.
Flushing it down the toilet causes the same pipe problems as the sink.
Clearing a kitchen with cooking oil in it
For a kitchen clear-out, empty and seal any oil using the routes above first, and leave the dishwasher, fridge and old fryer to us.
Our WEEE disposal in Glasgow service recycles unwanted electricals, and we handle full clear-outs such as an end of tenancy clearance or a restaurant clearance.
When you book the service, tell us about any liquids such as oil, and we’ll confirm what we can take before the day.
Cooking oil disposal questions answered
Can cooking oil go down the drain?
No, because it sets in the pipe and builds up into a blockage. Even a small amount of grease adds to the coating that causes fatbergs.
Can I pour cooking oil in the garden?
Seal the used oil in a container and put small amounts in the bin or take larger quantities to a recycling centre if possible, and keep it away from beds, lawns and compost.
Kitchen to clear in Central Scotland? Book a same-day collection
Tell us what’s in the kitchen and we’ll quote for the appliances and furniture, collect them and sweep up after, across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Central Scotland.
Junk-It’s clear pricing means you know the cost before we lift anything.
Call us on 0141 433 4330 for a free quote with no obligation, and the old fryer can be out of your kitchen today.
