Fried foods are always delicious, but getting rid of cooking oil is by no means easy. Once cooled, you need to decide whether to recycle, reuse or donate it. Keep it in a sealable container so you can give it to a harvesting company or take it to restaurant managers for recycling. To dispose of it properly, never throw it down the sink or bucket even if it is inside a bottle.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Reuse the Oil
Step 1. Store it at room temperature in an airtight container
If you prefer to collect the oil before reusing it, choose an airtight container. You can store it in the pantry at room temperature until you are ready to use it again.
Step 2. Clean it with a coffee filter before using it again
Place the filter on top of the container where you stored the oil. Secure it with a rubber band and slowly slide the contents through the filter. It will trap solid residues making the oil clearer and cleaner.
Food particles in the oil can turn it rancid or encourage mold growth
Step 3. Use it to fry again
Since foods cooked in oil give this substance their flavor, you can do another frying - as long as it is based on similar dishes. For example, if you fried chicken, avoid using the same oil to fry donuts. If you floured or breaded something you fried, be aware that it will be more difficult to get rid of the residues and the flavor.
Vegetable frying usually leaves a neutral flavor, so in these cases it is easier to reuse used oil
Step 4. Avoid using it more than 2 times
If you have filtered and stored it properly, you can use it a few more times. Check it first and throw it away if it's cloudy, frothy or smelly. Never mix different types of cooking oil and dispose of it after a couple of times at most.
If you use it more than 2 times, the smoke point drops and you risk burning more easily. It can also promote the release of free radicals and unsaturated fatty acids
Method 2 of 2: Recycle the Oil
Step 1. Find out about waste oil recycling
Search the Internet for a collection point for the disposal of used oils. Some harvesting companies may also offer containers that are useful for collecting this material. Try to contact the CONOE (National Compulsory Consortium for the collection and treatment of used vegetable and animal oils and fats).
Your municipality may provide a collection service once or twice a year. Search for pickup dates
Step 2. Keep it in a container until you are ready to recycle it
Once it has cooled, pour it into a resealable container. Choose a sturdy one, such as a shatterproof plastic jar, in case of a fall. Store it at room temperature until you are ready to deliver it to a company or a tell-tale point.
Step 3. Deliver it
Find out about restaurants or ecological islands that accept used oil. There are companies that can produce biodiesel to power cars or machinery. To find a delivery point, search the Internet for "deliver waste oil [your city name]".
In some countries, donating used oil may be tax deductible
Step 4. Recycle any type of cooking oil
Many companies use any type of waste oil to make biodiesel. Be informed before delivering it and avoid mixing it with other liquid substances.
Some collection points provide containers where it can be poured directly
Step 5. Don't throw the oil down the sink
Waste oil is not filterable and 1 liter of oil is enough to contaminate 1 million liters of drinking water and make it unusable.
It also makes it impossible to oxygenate the water, killing much of the marine flora and fauna
Step 6. Do not throw the oil in the compost
Do not use it as a fertilizer or throw it in the wet as it will make the earth infertile and kill all the plants.
Step 7. Do not throw the oil in the trash can
Not even if closed in a bottle, because it would end up in the water in any case and contaminate it.
