# What to do with a lot of old cooking oil? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671 "2016-01-30T17:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/1 "2016-01-30T17:54:27Z")
I have multiple bottles of unused cooking oil sitting around – mostly olive, but some other stuff as well. I probably have a few gallons in all. It’s years old, so I don’t want to cook with it. I’ve heard of used cooking oil being collected and turned into things like animal feed and biofuel. I presume unused oil would also be suitable for that. However, my county doesn’t seem to have a cooking oil collection location or program. Should I try to sell it on Craigslist? Is there something else I can use this stuff for? (Should I have put this in a different forum?) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/2 "2016-01-30T18:01:33Z")
It is already in sealed containers, so all you need to do is put it out with your regular trash since your county does not offer a collection/recycling option. Just don’t dump it down the drain or toilet. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/3 "2016-01-30T18:07:16Z")
The thought of just throwing it all in the garbage seems wasteful. (I am a bit of a pack rat.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/4 "2016-01-30T18:21:49Z")
You can sell it to an oil processor. A lot of them pay between nothing and charging you. There are a few that will give you a few cents for it. Restaurants pay to have their used oil taken away, supply far outweighs demand, so it doesn’t have much value. But check around, maybe some local renderer will want it, even if they won’t give you any money it’s not going to waste. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/5 "2016-01-30T18:33:57Z")
If you live in mosquito country, you can use up a bit at the time by pouring just a film on top of standing water (puddles and such,) to prevent larvae from forming air squadrons in the spring and summer. It’s safe for the environment and won’t hurt pets or livestock. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/6 "2016-01-30T20:21:55Z")
If they charge you to get rid of it… well, it is green. Compost it? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/7 "2016-01-30T23:42:32Z")
Some places that make biofuels accept donations of used oil. You can google it and see if there are any in your area. Used oil is exactly what some biofuel cars run on. We had friends that made it in their own garage and ran their cars on it. **Mod Hat On** This is not really about cooking, so I’ll move it to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/8 "2016-01-31T00:02:10Z")
If it smells fine, it’s OK to cook with. I’ve found most oil tastes fine when it’s less than two years old. I’ve got peanut oil from 2013 that is still OK. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/9 "2016-01-31T00:05:42Z")
Call around to local car repair shops that work on diesel engine. Some people with diesel cars or trucks have converted to use it as fuel. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/10 "2016-01-31T02:58:01Z")
Does your community do the “has some value, just not to me” custom of placing the stuff on/at the curb? I see Craigslist ads labelled “Curb Alert” announcing that Stuff X will be placed on the curb on Street 1 near Street 2 on the 14th of the month. Just put the stuff out with a “Free” tag and let people know what/where/when - if somebody can get some good out of it, they’re welcome to it. If that doesn’t work, leave it on the doorstep of a restaurant. While they’re closed. They can either use it (deep fryers go through oil quickly) or dump it in with their own waste oil. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/11 "2016-01-31T03:03:31Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > If that doesn’t work, leave it on the doorstep of a restaurant. While they’re closed. > They can either use it (deep fryers go through oil quickly) or dump it in with their own waste oil. They will not use it, it’s been used already and they have no idea what’s in it, and it costs them money to have that waste oil taken away. You would probably be committing some kind of minor crime if you did that, trespassing at a minimum. And don’t leave your used motor oil at gas stations and garages when they’re closed either. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/12 "2016-01-31T03:29:10Z")
Now I’m considering making a decorative oil lamp and using it as fuel. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Magicicada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c67d28/32.png) [@Magicicada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magicicada)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/13 "2016-01-31T03:54:13Z")
Well, if you want to be really crafty…Get some decorative bottles or jars with lids. Fill them part way up with your old cooking oil. Add water, leaving some space at the top. Put in a few drops of liquid food coloring, preferably blue and green, but any color will work. Add a bit of glitter because craft projects need glitter. Put the lid back on. Tilt bottle or jar back and forth. Voila, you have an ocean in a bottle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/14 "2016-01-31T04:33:17Z")
One of my grocery stores accepts used cooking oil for conversion to biodiesel. It may be because they have a bakery & deli and have their own oil to recycle. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/15 "2016-01-31T06:14:11Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Does your community do the “has some value, just not to me” custom of placing the stuff on/at the curb? > > I see Craigslist ads labelled “Curb Alert” announcing that Stuff X will be placed on the curb on Street 1 near Street 2 on the 14th of the month. > > Just put the stuff out with a “Free” tag and let people know what/where/when - if somebody can get some good out of it, they’re welcome to it. > > If that doesn’t work, leave it on the doorstep of a restaurant. While they’re closed. > They can either use it (deep fryers go through oil quickly) or dump it in with their own waste oil. No restaurant is going to use some random liquid that some random person put on their doorstep in the middle of the night. They deserve anything the health department tosses at them if they do that. If a restaurant found a couple bottles oil by their door in the morning, they’d just toss it in their dumpster or, maybe, ad it in with their used oil to be hauled away. They’re not going to cook with it. My suggestion is to throw it out. You could wait until your city does a HAZMAT pick up and leave it for that, but since it’s not HAZMAT they might not take it. You could call your city, but I bet they’ll tell you to toss it. If you really want it used, do what others said and see if you can find someone that coverts it to fuel and give it to them. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/16 "2016-01-31T06:16:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > They will not use it, it’s been used already … OP stated that it was UNused. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/17 "2016-01-31T10:57:09Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > OP stated that it was UNused. I apologize for the mistake. They still don’t want it, and don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/18 "2016-01-31T11:29:03Z")
Maybe the fire brigade can use it for fire demonstrations? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/19 "2016-01-31T14:17:51Z")
pour it on ant hills ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671/20 "2016-01-31T14:22:39Z")
Pour it on crumpled up newspaper, so the paper is saturated, and use those in outdoor fires. Do you have bonfires in winter? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-lot-of-old-cooking-oil/744671.md?page=2)