Used cooking oil collection

Used cooking oil from a fryer is collected separately and recycled into biodiesel — you never pour it down a drain or put it in general waste. Most collectors leave a sealed container and swap it on a schedule, and many either collect for free or pay you a small amount per litre, since the oil itself has resale value to them.

Pouring used oil down a drain is one of the most common causes of blocked commercial drains and fatbergs, and water companies can recharge you for the cost of clearing a blockage traced to your premises. It is also waste that has to be handled under your duty of care, so it needs to go to a licensed collector, not into the bin.

Watch out for

• Assuming you have to pay to get rid of used oil — most collectors take it free and many will pay small venues per litre, because it gets recycled into biodiesel.
• Pouring it down the drain "just this once" — this is the single most common cause of commercial drain blockages and can lead to a recharge from your water company.
• Storing the container somewhere it isn't collected reliably, so it overflows or gets used as general storage by mistake.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Managing your waste: an overview checked 2026-09-02

See also

• Set up general waste and recycling
• Start your waste transfer note file
• Used cooking oil collection— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →