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[imported_elowwoleParticipant]

I am a newbie here and I have a question.  What is the best way to dispose of used cooking oil.  I know I can't pour it down the drain, but I have gallon jugs of the stuff collecting in my pantry.  My husband says as long as it is in a closed container it can go out with the trash, however, I'm not convinced.  He doesn't have a frugal, eco-minded bone in his body. 

As far as I have been able to ascertain there are not places in my area that take used oil.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you all.

[imported_refuge821Participant]

How about these suggestions from AnswerBag.com:

Disposing of used cooking grease is an environmentally important task. There are several ways to safely dispose of it, but it should never be poured down the drain.

1. Allow the oil to cool completely before disposing of it.

2. Decide whether the oil needs to be discarded. Oil used for deep-frying can usually be reused several times. Strain it into a clean sealable container.

3. To throw it away, carefully pour it into a strong sealable container, such as an old plastic jar with a lid. Many households save jars for this purpose. Plastic jars are better than breakable glass ones.

4. If the amount of oil is small, place the filled, sealed jar in the trash.

5. Take large amounts of cooking oil to the local landfill.

6. Alternatively, recycle large amounts of used cooking oil with the help of a cooperative local restaurant. Most restaurants have used grease bins, whose contents are recycled into consumer products. Ask if you can add your used oil to their grease bin.

7. Used cooking oil can also be composted with other organic matter. If you have a compost heap or a healthy backyard earthworm population, feed them kitchen scraps.

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Used cooking oil can also be used to produce biodiesel. Perhaps you, as an individual, might not have much used oil to spare, but if you run a business that does produce waste cooking oil, you could do worse than contact someone with an interest in biodiesel who would gladly take it off your hands. Biodiesel can be easily produced at home.  See also: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

[imported_elowwoleParticipant]

How about these suggestions from AnswerBag.com:

Disposing of used cooking grease is an environmentally important task. There are several ways to safely dispose of it, but it should never be poured down the drain.

Thank you for taking time to reply.  This did help.

[imported_vlozano]

HHmmm… I live in an area where folks burn their trash. I've often used a bit of oil to get the fire started. Fortunately, I don't deep fry that often so it doesn't gather up to quickly, just enough to be able to use it like this. It burns away with the trash. But now I'm wondering, is this safe?

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks, I'm new here.

Re cooking oil, I usually save my bacon grease in a glass bottle such as one for kraut or grape jelly. My question:  how long can I safely keep used bacon grease in the fridge before it becomes unusable + how often can I use to fry potatoes or chicken or whatever?

[Author]

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