Picture this, you’ve just whipped up a delicious meal and now it’s clean-up time. As you stand there with the pan of oil, it might seem tempting to just pour it down the kitchen sink. But have you considered the potential consequences?
Think twice before letting used cooking oil cascade down your drain. Have a look at how it can impact your pipes. Proper disposal is key!
Your home’s plumbing includes a maze of pipes and channels, both inside and out, connecting to the sewer and stormwater drains. Ultimately, the water makes its way to the city’s treatment plant.
Monitoring what goes down your kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and toilet drain is crucial.
Is It Bad To Throw Cooking Oil Down The Drain?
Water, toilet paper, and human waste should only be washed down our drains. Food scraps, disposable or wet wipes, paper towels, and other foreign objects can block the pipework, and harsh chemicals can affect the pipes through corrosion or cracks.
Cooking oils like vegetable, olive, and corn, along with other fats, cool and solidify as they travel through your pipes. This buildup eventually forms a barrier in the pipe walls. As more debris attaches, it obstructs water flow, often causing smelly drains and blockages. Avoid pouring cooking oil, pan drippings, grease, or sauces down the sink.
So, what is the safest disposal method if you shouldn’t dispose of used cooking oil down the drain? Should you recycle cooking oil? Here are some helpful tips and suggestions.
How Should You Dispose Of Cooking Oil At Home?
There are other alternatives to disposing of household cooking oil down the sink:
- A small amount of grease left over in the pan should be properly disposed of. Wipe it with an absorbent paper towel and throw it in your garbage bin.
- You can recycle your cooking oil and fats. Once you have finished using them, filter them, place them in a sealable container or jar, and leave them in the fridge for reuse. You may also freeze them to make them last longer.
- Pour more significant amounts of oil into a sealable, non-recyclable container and toss it in the recycling bin.
- If you reuse your cooking oil, make sure that it is filtered. Remember to be mindful of other people’s dietary requirements. If a guest is a vegetarian, avoid using the fat in which you have cooked animal products.
Can You Throw Away Your Cooking Oil In The Garden?
You can recycle cooking grease in your garden. Mix it into your compost system, but remember to use small amounts. The best cooking fats are vegetable-based, such as olive oil or sunflower oil.
Reuse cooking oil. Vegetable oils are considered organic and can be mixed with bird seed.
Recycling cooking oil isn’t just good for your home; it’s great for the environment too. Try mixing oil with materials like cat litter, sand, or sawdust. They quickly soak up the liquid, making disposal easier.
Taking Care Of Your Drainage System
If you can’t find recycling centres, cooking oil disposal should be part of your cleaning routine. It may be easier to dump deep-frying oil and scraps down the sink, but remember that fats and grease that are cooled down will become lodged inside the pipework.
Food and other organic materials and waste can create a smelly environment in your kitchen, so remember to place old oil for deep frying into garbage bags and dispose of it in your garbage. If you would like to reuse your oil, pour it into a sealed container (airtight container) and store it in the fridge or freezer for later use.
Proper cooking oil disposal can save your plumbing and ensure your pipework is working at its best. Develop a grease disposal system and correctly dispose of your old cooking oils, not down the pipes.
