Used cooking oil collection.
Free pickup, CalRecycle-compliant, scheduled to your kitchen.

Used cooking oil is a regulated waste stream in California — disposing of it improperly is not a minor infraction. California Health and Safety Code Section 114197 requires all food service establishments to properly manage and recycle their used cooking oil. Illegal disposal methods — pouring UCO down floor drains, into dumpsters, or onto the ground — create FOG violations, environmental fines, and direct liability for any resulting sewer or groundwater contamination. Beyond the state requirement, Southern California restaurants must comply with the California Air Resources Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which governs the chain of custody for UCO from the kitchen to the biodiesel refinery. Every pickup must be documented with a manifest. The collector must hold an IKG (Indelible Kitchen Grease) hauler license issued by the California DTSC. An unlicensed collector who mishandles your oil makes you, the generator, liable under California hazardous waste law.

California law creates a clear chain of custody for used cooking oil, and the operator is responsible for every link in that chain. UCO collectors must hold an IKG hauler license issued by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, carry appropriate insurance, and transport oil only to permitted recycling facilities. Each pickup must be documented with a manifest that includes the date and time, address, restaurant name, and volume collected — records that CARB requires collectors to maintain for every transaction. UCO theft is a genuine problem in Los Angeles: thieves steal oil overnight and sell it, while fraudulent operators introduce cheap virgin oils into the recycled oil supply to claim biodiesel fuel credits. These supply chain integrity requirements are the regulatory response to that fraud. Before engaging a collector, verify their DTSC registration and IKG license number. Your manifest records are your legal protection if a collector is found to be non-compliant.

Used cooking oil has significant commodity value as feedstock for renewable biodiesel, particularly in California where CARB's Low Carbon Fuel Standard creates strong financial incentives for biodiesel production from recycled sources. For most restaurants producing clean, uncontaminated fryer oil, collection is provided at no charge — and many operations, particularly high-volume fryers, receive a per-gallon rebate from their collector. The value of the oil depends on market conditions, contamination level, and volume. Contaminated oil — mixed with water, food solids, or non-cooking substances — has lower commodity value and may reduce or eliminate the rebate. Sealed collection containers matched to your kitchen's volume are typically supplied by the collector at no cost and positioned for interior or exterior placement. Service is scheduled weekly or bi-weekly for most operations, matching pickup frequency to fill rate.

California has more restaurants per capita than any other state, and the California Air Resources Board leads the nation in regulating UCO disposal and recycling through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The LCFS creates financial incentives for producing biodiesel from recycled cooking oil, which has in turn created a significant fraud problem: bad actors substitute cheap virgin palm oil or other virgin oils as recycled UCO to claim fuel credits, and thieves steal oil from restaurant containers to sell through unauthorized channels. CARB's response is a mandatory documentation requirement: every pickup must be recorded with the date, time, address, restaurant name, and volume of oil collected. Collectors must maintain these records and make them available for CARB audit. For restaurant operators, the practical implication is straightforward: use a licensed collector, retain every manifest, and never allow an undocumented pickup. Your manifest file is what stands between you and liability if a collector is found to be operating fraudulently.