Fried turkeys are a Thanksgiving treat, but that used cooking oil? Not so much.
All home cooking oils - frying oil and bacon and hamburger drippings - can cause problems with plumbing, sewage collection systems and septic systems. If dumped down any drain, these oils can clog pipes, even if washed down with hot water. Blocked pipes can also cause sewage backups – an unappetizing thought and potentially expensive repair.
Fortunately, Palm Beach County residents can recycle their used cooking oil for FREE, including canola, corn, olive, peanut and vegetable oils, as well as lard.
To recycle your oil:
- Allow the used cooking oil to cool.
- Carefully pour the cooled cooking oil into a large, sturdy plastic or wax-coated leak-proof container no larger than 5 gallons, such as the original container or a juice carton.
- Cap the container securely.
- Don’t mix the used cooking oil with any other liquids or products.
- Take to any of the SWA’s seven Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.
The SWA’s locations include (from north county to south county):
This used cooking oil drop off program is for residential cooking oil only. Commercial and industrial customers must contact a licensed commercial grease hauler for cooking oil disposal. Call 561-687-1100 for disposal options.
For more information, go to SWA.or/CookingOil or call 561-697-2700. In the last fiscal year, Palm Beach County residents recycled 41,817 pounds of cooking oil the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers. Each year, the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers either recycles or safely disposes of 4.2M pounds of household hazardous wastes.
Remember, pollution prevention starts at home. A full list of household hazardous wastes can be found at SWA.org/HCRC or call 561-697-2700 or 866-SWA-INFO (toll-free) to learn more about the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.
