Whatever you do, don’t pour it down the drain or into the toilet
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How to throw away cooking fats, oils and grease
So, pouring fat down the drain — whether in the form of cooking oil, pan drippings, dairy products, soups, sauces, salad dressings, gravy or sandwich spreads — is a bad idea. Given the number of sewer back-ups and clogged pipes, it seems that the message hasn’t reached everyone.
To dispose of larger amounts of cooking oil, allow it to cool. Then, scrape it gradually into your kitchen pail using the same method, only adding as much as the contents can absorb each day.
If you don’t have access to composting facilities, pour leftover fats into a used sealable container, such as a jug, tub or zipper bag, and throw it away.
Should you reuse cooking oil?
When oil is heated, its chemical composition can change. The resulting “lipid degradation products” have been linked to a range of health issues, including cancer, liver disease and stroke.
“The issue becomes more prevalent when oil is reused,” according to Columbia Health. “It only takes one use to alter the composition of the oil, and reusing oil, especially at too high of a heat, can cause a build-up of harmful byproducts.”
If you must reuse cooking oil, use a thermometer to ensure it doesn’t overheat. Take it off the heat as soon as you’ve finished cooking, and once cool, strain the used oil through several layers of cheesecloth before storing the container in a cool, dark place.
Do oil solidifiers work?
“Until curbside oil pickup comes to your neighbourhood, your best option for discarding used cooking oil is to solidify it.”
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