Cooking Oil Disposal That Keeps You on the Right Side of California Law

No. Pouring used cooking oil down any drain — including one connected to a grease interceptor — violates local fats, oils, and grease (FOG) ordinances in every Southern California jurisdiction. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 114197 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, liquid waste from food facilities must be disposed of through approved methods. Grease that enters the sewer system causes blockages and can trigger sanitary sewer overflows, which are tracked and penalized by the California State Water Resources Control Board through the NPDES permit program water.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/npdes/pretreat.html. The only compliant method is collection by a CDFA-licensed transporter who delivers the oil to a licensed recycling facility.

Under CCR Title 3 Section 1180.20 law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/3-CCR-1180.20, every person or business that transports inedible kitchen grease in California must hold a valid transporter license issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Licensed transporters must carry their credentials at all times, generate manifests for every load, and deliver oil exclusively to licensed rendering facilities. If your current hauler cannot produce a valid CDFA license, you are entrusting your waste to an unlicensed operator — which means your disposal is not compliant regardless of where the oil ends up.

EPA pretreatment standards epa.gov/npdes/pretreatment-standards-and-requirements-general-and-specific-prohibitions establish federal limits on what commercial and industrial users can discharge into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). For food service operations, these standards prohibit discharges that cause pass-through or interference at the treatment plant — including excessive fats, oils, and grease. Local sanitation districts implement these federal standards through their own FOG programs. In practice, this means your restaurant must prevent bulk cooking oil from entering the sewer system and must use a licensed disposal service for all waste cooking oil.

Health inspectors and FOG compliance officers expect to see proof that your used cooking oil is being collected by a licensed hauler and disposed of properly. At minimum, you need manifests showing the date of each pickup, volume collected, transporter license number, and destination facility. CCR Title 3 Section 1180.24 law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/3-CCR-1180.24 specifies the documentation requirements for IKG transactions. Our service generates this documentation automatically and stores it in your online dashboard for seven years, so you can produce it within seconds of any inspector request.

The City of San Diego operates the Fat, Enzyme, and Waste Disposal (FEWD) program sandiego.gov/public-utilities/sewer-spill-reduction/fewd through its Public Utilities department. Inspectors conduct both routine and complaint-driven inspections of food facilities. Violations include improper grease disposal, inadequate interceptor maintenance, and missing documentation. Penalties range from warning letters and mandatory corrective actions to administrative fines and referral to the City Attorney for chronic violators. A compliant disposal service with proper documentation eliminates your exposure to all of these enforcement actions.

No. Used cooking oil is classified as a liquid waste that cannot be placed in solid waste containers or collected by regular trash haulers. California regulations require that waste cooking oil be collected by a CDFA-licensed transporter and delivered to a licensed recycling or rendering facility. Placing oil containers in a dumpster creates spill and contamination risks, attracts pests, and violates both solid waste regulations and health code requirements. Even small quantities must be handled through proper channels — there is no de minimis exception for commercial food operations.