What to do with used cooking oil?

 What to do with used cooking oil?

Incorrect disposal of used cooking oil causes serious environmental problems.

Cooking oil is often used to prepare food. According to the Portuguese Environment Agency, a family of four people consumes an average of 1 litre of oil per week. Incorrect disposal of used cooking oil causes serious environmental problems.

According to Quercus, “1 litre of oil is enough to pollute around 1 million litres of water”, which is why you should never pour used cooking oil down the drain. There is a high risk of damaging infrastructure and increasing the risk of pests.

Fat accumulated in the filters of wastewater treatment systems (WWTPs) can also damage them, causing them to malfunction and impairing water treatment.

Used cooking oil for the environment

If used cooking oil is disposed of correctly, it ends up contributing to the environment. When reused, it is used to produce biodiesel and soap. According to the APA, “1,000 liters of used cooking oil can produce between 920 and 980 liters of biodiesel, a fuel that has carbon dioxide emission rates that can be 80% lower than those emitted when using diesel.”

For these reasons, it is essential that used cooking oil is properly stored and sent to existing collection systems. As conscientious citizens, we have a duty to dispose of used cooking oil correctly so as not to further burden our planet.

How to dispose of cooking oil?

The next time you have used cooking oil at home and want to dispose of it, let it cool down first. Using a funnel, pour the oil into a plastic bottle (never use glass) and close it tightly to prevent it from spilling.

Where can I take used oil?

Used cooking oil should be taken to a collection point or deposited in one of the containers provided by the municipality.

Only use food-grade oil (frying oil, olive oil, canning oil) and never engine oil (mineral or synthetic). When disposing of oil, do not pour it directly into the oil pan.

What are the advantages of disposing of oil correctly?

By disposing of used cooking oil correctly, you will be contributing to the reduction of pollutant loads in WWTPs, allowing used cooking oil to be used in the production of biodiesel and soap, and contributing to the reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions into the atmosphere.

A simple attitude that you can adopt in your daily life to reduce your ecological footprint and ensure a better future for yourself and your descendants.

Recycling is essential for preserving our planet! Let's do our part!