If you produce waste cooking oil as part of your catering business, (for example as a chip shop or other takeaway outlet or restaurant), then you must ensure that it is stored properly, that none is allowed to spill and that it is collected by an authorised collector who will take your waste to an authorised site for recovery or disposal.

NCOD (National Cooking Oil Disposal) offers a fast, safe and convenient removal service and can provide clean containers for your next collection.

The Government strongly supports the recovery of waste cooking oil for such purposes as it underpins its strategies in both reducing dependency upon landfill sites as a means of waste disposal and reducing the use of fossil fuels for energy generation.

Waste cooking oil must not be poured down drains or sewers because this inevitably leads to blockages and odour or vermin problems and may also pollute watercourses leading to problems for wildlife. Such action could also result in potential prosecution. Nor should waste cooking oil be disposed of with the rest of the catering or kitchen waste because it may cause spillages leading to odour or pollution problems or waste contractors may refuse to remove it.

Waste cooking oil should not be taken to household recycling centres (also known as Civic Amenity sites or CA sites) for disposal in engine oil banks. CA sites are not for commercial waste and placing cooking oil into an oil bank will render the entire contents of the drums unsuitable for recycling.