Restaurant Grease Pickup Built for Independent Operators

Restaurant cooking oil disposal in California is governed by multiple overlapping regulations. At the state level, the CDFA Inedible Kitchen Grease (IKG) program cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/MPES/Rendering/ requires that any company transporting used cooking oil hold a valid CDFA transporter license and generate a compliant manifest for every pickup per California Code of Regulations Title 3 Section 1180. California Health and Safety Code Section 114201 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov requires all food facilities to install and maintain properly functioning grease traps and interceptors. At the county level, the LA County FOG program cleanla.lacounty.gov/fog/ enforces grease interceptor sizing, maintenance schedules, and disposal documentation for restaurants in Los Angeles County. In Orange County, OC San administers a Fats, Oil, and Grease permit program ocsan.gov/ocsan-permits/businessfog/ with separate permitting and inspection requirements. San Diego County has its own FOG compliance program as well. Violations at any level start at $1,000 per offense and escalate for repeat violations.

Our restaurant grease pickup service is completely free for independent restaurants of any size. Used cooking oil has value as a feedstock for biodiesel production, so we collect it at no charge and handle all transportation, documentation, container equipment, and cleanup. There are no setup fees, no monthly charges, no fuel surcharges, and no contracts to sign. The only investment from your side is the few minutes it takes your kitchen staff to pour cooled fryer oil into the collection container during your normal oil-change routine.

The Inedible Kitchen Grease (IKG) program is administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/MPES/Rendering/ and regulates the collection, transportation, rendering, and recycling of used cooking oil and other inedible kitchen grease statewide. Under this program, any company that picks up used cooking oil from your restaurant must hold a valid CDFA transporter license. Every pickup must be documented with a manifest recording the volume, date, origin address, and destination facility per CCR Title 3 Section 1180. As a restaurant owner, you are not required to hold a CDFA license yourself, but you are legally responsible for ensuring that your grease hauler is properly licensed and providing compliant documentation. If your hauler is unlicensed or fails to provide manifests, your restaurant can be cited. We carry our CDFA credentials on every route and provide licensing verification documentation for your records.

Health department inspectors in Southern California evaluate grease management as part of every routine inspection. They check that grease traps are functioning per CA Health and Safety Code Section 114201, that used cooking oil is stored in a secure container away from food preparation areas, and that disposal documentation is available on request. In LA County, inspectors also verify compliance with the FOG program requirements for interceptor maintenance and cleaning schedules. An overflowing or leaking container, missing disposal records, or an improperly maintained grease trap can each result in a separate citation starting at $1,000. Our service prevents these issues by maintaining a consistent pickup schedule that keeps containers below capacity, generating digital manifests that are always accessible through your dashboard, and cleaning and inspecting your container area on every visit so it is always inspection-ready.

Call our 24/7 emergency line and a driver will arrive within four hours on average, regardless of day or time. The driver pumps the container, cleans any overflow from the surrounding area, and files an incident report documenting the response. There is no additional charge for emergency service. After the emergency, we review your pickup frequency and container size to determine whether an adjustment is needed to prevent future overflows. Common causes include seasonal volume increases, menu changes that add fried items, or a temporary spike from catering work. We proactively adjust your service to match your actual output rather than waiting for the next overflow.

Most restaurants in Los Angeles County and Orange County are required to comply with local FOG (Fats, Oil, and Grease) regulations, though the specific requirements differ by jurisdiction. In LA County, the FOG program administered through Clean LA cleanla.lacounty.gov/fog/ requires food service establishments to install and maintain grease interceptors, keep maintenance logs, and retain disposal documentation. In Orange County, OC San ocsan.gov/ocsan-permits/businessfog/ administers a separate FOG permit program that includes periodic inspections and documentation requirements for businesses generating fats, oils, and grease. The City of San Diego has its own FOG compliance requirements as well. Our service generates documentation that satisfies all three jurisdictions, and our compliance reports are formatted to match what inspectors in each county expect to see. Contact your local sewer authority to confirm your specific permit obligations.