How to dispose of cooking oil easily could be a big problem for many of us. If there’s one thing you should know about how to dispose of used cooking oil it’s that you should never pour it down the drain or into drains. Most people think by mixing the used oil with hot water and pouring it down the drain will be sufficient, but drains do not have a proper grease management system, and the problem remains unresolved.
This used oil also travels into waterways, including rivers and lakes where we have aquatic life. It can cause the oxygen levels in the water to drop, endangering animals that live there.
Don’t put your used oil in the waste bin since it won’t break down because it won’t be hot enough.
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How to dispose of Used Cooking Oil Practically?
1. Re-use it
Utilizing used cooking oil is the best disposing of it. The oil can be reused several times if it is used for meals such as vegetables or potatoes. But, avoid cooking meat or fish in oil frequently. While it can be used twice or three times for the same product, it’s best to double-check that the oil is safe to cook with.
2. Pour it Out
This is another good answer to the question of how to dispose of used cooking oil. You would find it easy to pour the cooled liquid into a disposable container (think old sour cream or cottage cheese containers) and sealing it shut. You can then simply throw the container away.
3. Chill Until Solid
If you want to throw your cooking oil after frying and want to know a good way of how to dispose of used cooking oil, you can freeze or refrigerate the oil first to harden it. When you are done with this, pour the oil into an old can and put it in the freezer or fridge. When the oil is solid enough to come out of the can in one piece, it is ready to be thrown into the trash.
4. Mix it
Before disposing of used cooking oil, you can mix the oil with an absorbent material like cat litter, sand, and sawdust. This is an easy way to soaks up the liquid.
5. Recycle Cooking Oil
This is also a very handy way to tackle the problem of how to dispose of used cooking oil. You can search out some collection programs for recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel. This is a clean-burning fuel that is used in many types of motor vehicles (often city trucks and fleet vehicles) and can be used as heating oil.
6. Use it to Kill Weeds
In limited quantities, vegetable oils such as canola or olive oil can be recycled. You can try this method to handle the issue of how to dispose of used cooking oil and throw it into the plants to control weeds; put simply it in a spray bottle and spray away those nasty weeds.
7. Household lubricant
Another beneficial way to dispose of used cooking oil is to use it as an effective lubricant. This problem of how to dispose of used cooking oil can be tackled wisely and this oil can be used for many things around the house from squeaking hinges to troublesome locks. It also helps prevent or Remove rust on Metal Surfaces and objects such as tools.
“Nobody wants to send that material down the drain,” says Rick Sabol, president of the Mahoney division in one of his Tweets about disposing of used cooking oil.
Conclusion
There are several innovative ways to responsibly dispose of used cooking oil, ranging from reusing to composting and making biofuel.
So, the next time you’re about to dump cooking oil in your kitchen, reconsider. Many eco-friendly recycling centers and biodiesel firms would be interested to take your cooking oil or fat and put to better use.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
