SWA’s November Household Hazardous Waste Tip – After the Feast, Recycle the Grease

By Robert S Weinroth

First I would like to congratulate County Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss on being elected the next chair of the Solid Waste Authority Board. After two years as Chair, I was pleased to relinquish the gavel to my friend and collegue.

With Thanksgiving coming up, here’s a little lesson in how to dispose of cooking oil.

Fried turkeys are a Thanksgiving treat, but that used cooking oil? Not so much. 

All home cooking oils – frying oil and bacon and hamburger drippings – can cause problems with plumbing, sewage collection systems and septic systems.

If dumped down any drain, these oils can clog pipes, even if washed down with hot water. Blocked pipes can also cause sewage backups – an unappetizing thought and potentially expensive repair. You will need to call experts like the ones from Townsville plumbing to do septic tank pumping, if you would like to do your own septic pumping, then consider getting equipment from a Septic vacuum pump supplier.

Fortunately, Palm Beach County residents can recycle their used cooking oil for FREE, including canola, corn, olive, peanut and vegetable oils, as well as lard. 

To recycle your oil: 

• Allow the used cooking oil to cool. 
• Carefully pour the cooled cooking oil into a large, sturdy plastic or wax-coated leak-proof container no larger than 5 gallons, such as the original container or a juice carton. 
• Cap the container securely. 
• Don’t mix the used cooking oil with any other liquids or products. 
• Take to any of the SWA’s seven Home Chemical and Recycling Centers. 

The SWA’s locations include (from north county to south county): 

• Jupiter 
  North County Transfer Station 
  14185 Military Trail (SWA Rd) in Jupiter 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
   
• West Palm Beach 
  Home Chemical and Recycling Center 
  6161 N. Jog Rd in West Palm Beach 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
   
• Belle Glade 
  Glades Regional Transfer Station 
  1701 State Rd 15 in Belle Glade 
  Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
   
• Royal Palm Beach 
  West Central Transfer Station 
  9743 Weisman Way in Royal Palm Beach 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
   
• Lantana 
  Central County Transfer Station 
  1810 Lantana Rd in Lantana 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
   
• Delray Beach – West 
  Southwest County Transfer Station 
  13400 S State Road 7 in Delray Beach 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
   
• Delray Beach – East 
  South County Transfer Station 
  1901 SW 4th Ave. in Delray Beach 
  Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  Saturday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

This used cooking oil drop off program is for residential cooking oil only. Commercial and industrial customers must contact a licensed commercial grease hauler for cooking oil disposal. Call 561-687-1100 for disposal options. 

For more information on recycling cooking oil, go to SWA.org/CookingOil. 

In the last fiscal year, Palm Beach County residents recycled more than 49,000 pounds of cooking oil at the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers. Overall, the SWA’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers either recycled or safely disposed of 4.9M pounds of household hazardous wastes. 

Remember, pollution prevention starts at home. A full list of household hazardous wastes can be found atSWA.org/HCRC [swa.org] or call 866-SWA-INFO (toll-free) to learn more about the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s Home Chemical and Recycling Centers.