Disposing of any cooking oil, including olive oil, tin exist a chip tricky. Just putting in the trash can tin can cause spills that attract unwanted critters, while pouring information technology downwardly the sink tin can dorsum upwards the plumbing. Discover five different options for disposal of olive oil:

Can I Put Olive Oil Downwards the Sink?

Yous might be inclined to put olive oil down the sink, merely equally yous would water or another liquid. Nevertheless, you should not put oil downwardly the sink . Beneath xl°F or so, the olive oil will solidify into chunks, which can block your pipes in the winter. Even if the temperatures do non fall that low, the olive oil will still coat the inside of the pipes and gunk them up. Over time, it can build upwards causing a blockage and affect the functionality of your pipes. Either mode, you could be looking at an expensive plumbing bill to get the olive oil out of your kitchen pipes. Instead of pouring olive oil down your sink, dispose of it using the methods outlined beneath and save yourself the hassle of calling a plumber.

How to Dispose of Olive Oil

Now that we have established that you cannot put olive oil downwards your kitchen sink, you are probably wondering what yous can do with information technology. Hither are five options for disposing of your olive oil:

Reuse it: In some cases, you might be able to reuse the olive oil. For instance, if you use loftier-quality olive oil to fry up some onions, it would brand for a delicious addition to a homemade salad dressing. Even so, you do demand to exist careful with reusing all the oil for cooking considering heat accelerates the decomposition process. It is as well best not to reuse olive oil that has been used to cook meat products. If the olive oil becomes cloudy or develops a foamy texture on pinnacle, it is fourth dimension to go rid of it altogether using the other methods listed here. (Larn more near how to store olive oil to prolong its life.)

some oil pouring off of a lemon


Wipe it up: If you lot have simply a little bit of olive oil left in the skillet, the best way to dispose of it is with a paper towel. Await until the olive oil and the pan take completely cooled to avoid burning your hand or the towel and then wipe upward all the excess oil with the newspaper towel and put it in the trash tin. This is the easiest way to dispose of a small corporeality of olive oil that y'all do not want to reuse.

Permit it solidify: Sometimes, you may accept a larger quantity of olive oil that y'all need to get rid of — for example, in the case of deep frying. In this example, it would take too many towels to absorb it all and you do non want to put it straight in the trash; otherwise, it will become everywhere. In this state of affairs, you lot need to transfer it to some kind of leakproof container. Some people like to leave olive oil out on the counter until it cools and solidifies, or to put it into the freezer to speed up the process. Once the olive oil is cool enough to work with, transfer it to the container and so put it into the trash can. It is usually best to do this right before yous plan to have out the trash to minimize the take chances of leaks.

Apply it for compost: Olive oil is an organic material that comes from plants, meaning that it is rubber to utilise it for compost. Mix in minor mounds of olive oil with your nutrient scraps, leaves and whatever else is in your compost pile. Brand sure not to completely smother your compost pile in oil or else it could disrupt the composting process, then simply add a petty bit at a time.

Recycle information technology: If you lot have large quantities you need to get rid of, recycling might be your all-time bet. Sometimes, neighborhood restaurants volition accept olive oil, so attempt giving them a call start. If y'all cannot notice a eating house, then call your local fire department, trash company and recycling centers. Inquire whether or not they accept oil recycling and accept it to whichever facility does.

a couple of bottles of brightland oils on a table with some fruit and vegetables

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