Improper disposal of waste cooking oil is a major problem throughout the industrialized world. The consequences of which were on display this September in east London, when city sewers became clogged by a mammoth grease blockage that was an incredible 820 feet long and weighed 130 tons. Crews worked seven days a week to chip away at the accumulated grease, which had mixed with other sewage materials to form a dense mass the consistency of concrete.

“It’s frustrating, as these situations are totally avoidable and caused by fat, oil and grease being washed down [drains],” says Matt Rimmer, Thames Water’s head of waste networks. 

Nearly half of all sewer blockages in the United States are caused by improper disposal of cooking oil. Each year local governments spend millions of dollars on repairs to undo the damage. Even blockages that don’t make it into the wider system can harm a building’s pipes and cost thousands to remedy.

Cooking oil also has devastating effects on the environment if it reaches lakes and streams. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency treats it just like petroleum, citing the toxic potential.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Frontline International Smart Oil Management™ systems make it easy to handle, recycle, and even profit from cooking oil and grease. With Frontline International waste oil collection equipment, cooking oil is effortlessly guided to and retained in tanks loaded with technology that monitors every drop. This is important since every drop is a valuable commodity traded for rebates. The system also helps kitchens monitor fresh oil supply, extend its life, and save money.

Customers purchase and own their fresh oil- and waste oil-handling equipment, incurring no monthly leasing fees. By collecting and disposing of waste oil safely and tracking oil usage data, restaurateurs, grocery chains, commissary operators and more utilize Frontline International equipment to realize increased control and profitability.