Waste cooking oil collection

Get the best waste collection quotes for your business today

Just enter your business postcode…

How much could you save?

Start saving now

If you have multiple properties, please put post code of your head office.
  • Save with competitive quotes
  • Compare local trusted providers
  • Improved service and reliability

Waste cooking oil collection and recycling in the UK

The Food Standards Agency prohibits businesses from pouring cooking oil down the drain. Instead, businesses that produce waste cooking oil must use collection services offered by licensed waste providers.

In this guide, we explain how to arrange a used cooking oil collection; we cover:

How waste cooking oil collection works

Here’s a step-by-step guide to the waste cooking oil collection process.

<h3>Segregation</h3>

Segregation

Any waste cooking oil that can be reasonably separated from other food waste should be segregated and stored in specialised containers, enabling collection and recycling.

💡Safe handling: Cooking oil is flammable and can cause severe burns.

<h3>Storage</h3>

Storage

Generally, used cooking oil can be stored in the same containers used to deliver fresh oil. For larger businesses, your waste firm will provide a dedicated commercial waste bin to collect used cooking oil.

Used cooking oil containers come in volumes ranging from 20 to 100 litres.

<h3>Collection</h3>

Collection

Your waste provider will collect and transport your cooking oil waste containers to a biorefinery site.

Depending on the scale of your kitchen, collections can be weekly, fortnightly, or upon request.

<h3>Recycling</h3>

Recycling

At a biorefinery site, cooking oil undergoes refinement, reaction, and separation to convert it into biofuel.

By-product food particles extracted from the process are used as fuel for an anaerobic digestion plant.

<h3>Documentation</h3>

Documentation

You will be provided with a waste transfer note for each ad-hoc collection or an annual waste transfer note for regular collections.

The waste transfer note should be retained for two years to demonstrate compliance with commercial waste regulations.

Benefits of waste cooking oil collections

Our waste experts present the top three reasons to arrange a used cooking oil collection service.

<h3>Compliance</h3>

Compliance

UK businesses have a legal duty of care regarding the disposal of their waste. The easiest way to demonstrate compliance is by using us to arrange a regular collection with a licensed waste collection provider.

<h3>Avoid blockages</h3>

Avoid blockages

When cooking oil is poured down drains, it solidifies and combines with other sewer waste, forming blockages known as fatbergs. These can lead to sewage overflows and costly repairs.

<h3>Savings</h3>

Savings

Biodiesel produced from used cooking oil is a valuable commodity, so local waste firms often offer low-cost or even free used oil collections, helping you reduce overall commercial waste collection costs.

Types of waste cooking oil collected

Here’s a list of the types of used cooking oil that we can help arrange collection for in the UK.

Type of OilBusiness SourceCommon Use
Vegetable OilRestaurants, fast food outletsFrying, sautéing
Sunflower OilRestaurants, bakeriesFrying, baking
Olive OilRestaurants, cafesSalad Dressing, light cooking
Canola Oil (Rapeseed)Restaurants, food producersFrying, baking
Palm OilFood producers, restaurantsFrying, processed food production
Coconut OilRestaurants, bakeriesFrying, baking
LardRestaurants, butchersFrying, baking
TallowButchers, food producersFrying, industrial uses

What is not considered waste cooking oil?

Here is a list of foods that can easily be mistaken for “waste cooking oils” but should not be included in your used cooking oil containers:

NOT waste cooking oilDescription
Unused solid fatsUnused fats like margarine, lard or tallow.
Kitchen waste liquidsNon-oil based liquids like water, broths, soups or sauces.
Dairy productsItems like cream, butter or cheese used in cooking, even when melted.

The items listed above should instead be placed in your commercial food waste bin.

Waste cooking oil collection providers

We can facilitate waste cooking oil collection with a number of providers in the UK. In this section, we summarise the top three:

<h3><a href="https://www.olleco.co.uk/used-cooking-oil-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olleco</a></h3>

Olleco

Olleco offers tailored services to the restaurant sector, helping them address the climate emergency by converting their waste resources into renewable energy.

Olleco also sells and delivers fresh cooking oil using the same vehicles that collect waste oil, helping to reduce carbon emissions.

<h3><a href="https://www.cateroils.co.uk/free-waste-oil-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cateroils</a></h3>

Cateroils

Cater Oils, a family-operated business, specialises in waste oil collection and cooking oil services.

Cater Oils’ disposal facility processes all collected oil for recycling. They guarantee that 100% of the waste cooking oil they collect is repurposed into biodiesel.

<h3><a href="https://uk.quatra.com/collection-cooking-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quatra</a></h3>

Quatra

Quatra specialises in cooking oil collection services and offers comprehensive solutions tailored to the needs of restaurants and food establishments.

Quatra provides complimentary oil storage containers designed to facilitate the safe and efficient storage of used cooking oil on-site.

Industries that generate used cooking oil

The regulations surrounding used cooking oil waste apply to any business that generates used cooking oil.

Here are the industries that generate the most used cooking oil.

💡Visit our blog post on how to dispose of waste cooking oil for specific tips on managing cooking oil waste in a commercial kitchen.

<h3>Restaurant industry</h3>

Restaurant industry

All commercial kitchens use cooking oil. This includes fast-food chains, cafeterias within schools and hospitals, independent restaurants, cafes, and pubs.

<h3>Hospitality</h3>

Hospitality

A wide range of hotels and other hospitality businesses in the UK generate used cooking oil. This includes catering for large events and within the arts and entertainment sector.

<h3>Food processing</h3>

Food processing

Snack food companies producing crisps, large commercial bakeries, and supermarkets with hot food counters produce substantial volumes of oil for frying.