In running a restaurant, one of your major headaches is what to do with your waste. Ranging from spoiled food to cooking oil, you will need to be responsible for your disposal methods.
One of the major options you can take is recycling. Biodegradable foods are easy to recycle, but grease and oil are another matter. There are various companies out there that offer recycling services; you can learn more from this site. But if you want to set up your recycling program for your restaurant, here are some tips for you:
Do a Cooking Oil Audit
How your restaurant will be recycling the oil will depend on how much oil you are using. You need to figure out how much oil you need to handle in a week or a month. The idea is to be able to have containers ready to handle the production of the oil.
You should do this over a month to get the idea of the average amount that you use. You should then buy the appropriate containers. The market has multiple sizes for used oil containment, handling from small 12 gallon containers to massive 300-gallon ones. Pick one that will meet your needs.
Ensure Proper Collection
One of the big mistakes that restaurant owners do is they are not thorough enough when they collect used cooking oil and grease. You should review your processes to ensure that you get every drop of it from your kitchen. Leftover oil and grease can foul things up, so you need to complete your disposal process.
Think About Local Laws
Used cooking oil is one of those substances that the authorities don’t want to see dumped into the sewer. They also don’t want it spilling out. That is why there are usually laws for handling it. Look up local waster laws on the requirements for handling and containing used oil. This will also help you avoid any trouble with the law. There are major penalties involved when making mistakes with oil disposal in some cities
Contract a Dependable Recycling Company
There are specific recycling services for cooking oil. The main use for it is to convert it into biofuel for cars. This means that it can be very profitable. You will want to work with a recycling service that compensates you well for your trouble. Negotiate a bit to see what you can get for your used cooking oil.
The more important thing is that they can collect your oil regularly. You do not want the oil to pile up. You should also be able to contact them in case you need an early pickup. The restaurant business can be unpredictable and you might go over your normal production.
Restaurants spend huge amounts of money on their cooking oil. Getting some of that investment back can be worth it. Besides, proper recycling also benefits the Earth as it reduces the amount of used oil being dumped. The tips above can make it simple for you while allowing you to do your part in saving the environment from damage.