Airport Grease Pickup Built for Terminal and Flight Kitchen Operations

Airport grease disposal is governed by multiple regulatory layers. At the state level, the CDFA Inedible Kitchen Grease program cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/MPES/Rendering/ requires licensed transporters and compliant manifests per California Code of Regulations Title 3 Section 1180 for every pickup. California Health and Safety Code Section 114201 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=114201 requires properly functioning grease traps and interceptors. Local FOG programs apply based on airport location — LAX falls under LA County Clean LA FOG requirements cleanla.lacounty.gov/fog/, John Wayne SNA under OC San FOG permit requirements ocsan.gov/ocsan-permits/businessfog/, and San Diego SAN under city FOG ordinances. Airport authorities add vendor-specific requirements including security credentialing, vehicle approvals, insurance minimums, and service performance standards that can exceed state and local requirements.

Our drivers hold active airport security badges issued by each airport authority following TSA-mandated background checks, fingerprinting, and security training. At LAX, badges are issued by Los Angeles World Airports under their vendor credentialing program. John Wayne Airport (SNA), San Diego International (SAN), and Long Beach Airport (LGB) each administer their own badge programs with similar requirements. Badge applications typically take four to eight weeks for new vendors, but our drivers already hold current badges at all four airports. Badges are renewed on the schedule required by each airport authority, and our operations team manages all renewals proactively so there is never a lapse in access. When you engage our service, there is no waiting period — we are cleared to service your facility from day one.

Yes. We routinely service every restaurant operator in a terminal during a single coordinated visit, which minimizes the number of security-cleared vehicle entries and reduces disruption to terminal operations. Each operator receives an individual CDFA manifest documenting their specific volume, pickup date, and facility address — so corporate compliance records are separated even though the physical collection happens in one pass. For concession management companies operating multiple brands across a terminal, we can also generate consolidated reports that roll up individual operator data into a portfolio view. This approach is common at LAX terminals where a single concession company may manage six to ten restaurant concepts. Read our guide on choosing a grease collection service (/blog/grease-collection-service-how-to-choose) for factors to evaluate when selecting an airport-qualified provider.

Terminal restaurants typically receive 50- to 150-gallon containers sized to their individual fryer output and the physical space available in terminal service corridors. Containers are positioned per airport authority guidelines for terminal service areas, which often specify location, containment requirements, and access restrictions. Airline catering flight kitchens operate at a completely different scale — these facilities can produce 500 to 1,000+ gallons of used cooking oil per week and require 300- to 500-gallon tanks or holding infrastructure with scheduled pump-outs. We provide all equipment at no cost, sized to your specific operation, and replace containers free of charge when needed. For details on our full equipment program, visit our equipment page (/services/equipment). All containers meet CDFA IKG program requirements for secure cooking oil storage.

Airport grease emergencies require coordination through airport operations dispatch in addition to standard emergency response. When you call our 24/7 emergency line, our dispatcher contacts airport operations simultaneously to clear security access and vehicle routing for the emergency vehicle. Response time averages four hours, though airport security protocols can add time depending on the current threat level and terminal activity. The driver arrives through the approved emergency access route, pumps the container, cleans any overflow from the service area, and files an incident report that satisfies both our service standards and airport authority incident documentation requirements. After the emergency, we review your pickup frequency and container size to prevent recurrence — because a grease overflow in an airport terminal is an operational disruption that affects far more than just your restaurant.

Yes. Our drivers hold security credentials that cover both the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) and all domestic terminals at LAX. International terminal operations have additional customs and border protection considerations that affect vehicle routing and timing, and our scheduling accounts for these constraints. We also service the LAX Midfield Satellite Concourse and any new terminal facilities as they come online. Pickup windows are coordinated separately for each terminal based on that terminal specific operations schedule and security requirements. For operators managing restaurants across multiple LAX terminals, our single account coordinator and consolidated dashboard provide unified visibility across all locations. The same coverage model applies to our service at SNA, SAN, and LGB.