What Are the Economic Benefits of Grease Recycling for Businesses?

When most people think about recycling grease, they often consider the environmental advantages. Many don’t realize the economic benefits of grease recycling for businesses like restaurants and hotels.

What’s the Challenge With Grease?

Grease is a residue that remains after cooking or processing oils, fats and animal products. It’s a natural part of the cooking process. The challenge is that staff may spill or wash grease down the sink. When it cools down, it solidifies and accumulates in pipes. This accumulation then causes blockages that disrupt sewage flow.

How serious can it get? Very serious — grease accounts for about 47% of sewer blockages and overflows in the U.S. annually. This can lead to water contamination and affect water quality and aquatic life.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When restaurants and businesses in the hospitality industry set out to implement recycling practices, they can help reduce these blockages while also reaping the rewards.

5 Economic Benefits of Grease Recycling for Businesses

Grease recycling in the form of used cooking oil collection and grease trap pumping can be economically beneficial for both your business and your neighborhood in five key ways:

1. Business Compliance

One of the main legislative acts to be aware of is the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA makes it unlawful to discharge any pollutant into a stream, river, lake or other navigable waters. This includes disposing of grease into sewer drains that drain to the ocean.

If food establishments don’t comply, they risk potential fines and other legal repercussions. Recycling your grease will help your business remain compliant while avoiding any legal repercussions that could affect your reputation.

2. No More Clogged Pipes

Restaurants and other food establishments produce a lot of grease. If you don’t have proper recycling in place to take care of your used cooking oil, it can end up down the drains, clogging and eventually cracking them. This can cost a lot of money to fix. Grease recycling can save businesses money by preventing blockages, overflows and possible damage to your pipes.

3. Good Business Reputation

The way consumers see your restaurant can affect its growth. Most consumers want businesses to be environmentally conscious and implement eco-friendly business practices. They want companies that care about their environment.

For example, Baker Commodities is a proudly carbon-negative company. This means that our overall carbon footprint contributes to a net reduction in the atmosphere’s carbon content. Sharing information like this can help attract eco-conscious consumers. As a result, you could build customer loyalty and strengthen your connection with your community, which can positively impact your bottom line.

4. Job Creation

Recycling grease involves multiple stages. First, a grease recycling company collects the used oil from your restaurant. The used grease goes through various stages, including removing debris and contaminants, heating and filtering to separate impurities and create a cleaner and refined substance. This process transforms grease into a product that can be used to create biofuels, industrial lubricants and soaps.

Many skilled professionals, including those in engineering, accounting and technology, help ensure that this occurs. This means recycling your used oil can help support the local economy through job creation.

5. Contribution to Circular Economy

One of the economic advantages of recycling restaurant grease is contributing to a circular economy by partnering with a local grease recycling company.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes a circular economy as a process that aims to keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible. This system emphasizes reusing resources, reducing the use of raw materials and minimizing wastage.

Recycling grease — and any material, really — can be a key part of the circular economy because instead of discarding the grease, we create renewable fuels in the process.

How to Get Started With Grease Recycling

To start recycling your used cooking oil:

• Partner with a recycling service: The right recycling company can provide you with the proper storage containers and then schedule grease pickups tailored to your needs.
• Use the right storage: Your recycling partner will provide secure containers for used grease. You can place these bins in a convenient area to avoid spills and ensure safer handling.
• Schedule regular pickups: Coordinate with your recycling partner for regular pickups based on your kitchen’s output.
• Train your staff: Educate your team on the importance of grease recycling and the exact steps to ensure it is done correctly.

Partner With Expert Grease Recyclers

The best way to get started with grease recycling is to partner with a local company that offers the service. As a restaurant or food service company, you already have a lot on your plate, and reaching out to experts to help with the process can make it more manageable.

Baker Commodities is an expert in food waste management, and we’ve been a leader for over 80 years. We offer Total Grease Management® services. Part of this approach is using high-tech tools for more thorough grease collection, which promotes a cleaner and more efficient kitchen.

Our experienced team will then transport the grease to our facility where it will be rendered, recycled and ultimately repurposed. We even offer automated collection systems so you and your staff can enjoy hands-free grease collection.

Our Total Grease Management® services also offer grease trap and interceptor pumping and cleaning, which include:

• Removal of waste materials
• Grease trap wall scrapping and cleaning
• Preventive maintenance
• Compliance with local municipality regulations
• Grease trap material recycling
• Scheduling service in regular intervals

Baker Commodities Helps Businesses With Grease Recycling

Recycling grease is more than just an environmental responsibility. This effective solution is a practical way to prevent sewage clogs and overflow in restaurants and neighborhoods. Working with a grease recycling provider lets you positively contribute to a more eco-conscious, circular economy and create sizable economic benefits.

Baker Commodities was created to help restaurants discard their used oil in a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly way, and we always follow your local municipality regulations to ensure you remain compliant.

Contact us to learn more about safely recycling your grease while positively impacting your local environment and economy.