Florida’s fryer grease is money when handled right—and hazardous waste when it isn’t. Grease waste is liquid or solid material composed primarily of fatty substances, oils, and grease. Once yellow grease seeps into a drainage system, it qualifies as regulated waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Florida Administrative Code. Miami‑Dade, Broward County, and Palm Beach now levy stiff penalties on any food service establishment found guilty of illegal dumping. Read on for the rules, the paperwork, and the real‑world costs.
Grease Waste Removal: The Legal Roadmap
Any kitchen that serves food—restaurants, cafeterias, school kitchens, hospitals, care institutions, even correctional facilities—must route sinks through correctly sized grease interceptors (often called grease traps). Tanks that reach 25 % FOG depth must be pumped, typically every one to three months in busy commercial kitchens, as the frequency of cleaning grease traps depends on how much grease they produce. Businesses must clean their grease traps regularly to prevent backups and odor. After pump‑out, all used cooking oil and other waste material travel by licensed hauler to a certified waste management facility. The disposal facility operator must maintain secondary containment and be permitted to receive grease waste.
- Skip any step and the kitchen is held liable for environmental damage plus additional fines.
- A hauler caught dumping fryer oil with demolition debris or other waste pays at least $2,500 and faces a 30‑day license suspension.
- For a second or subsequent unlawful disposal of grease waste, a hauler is subject to a fine of at least $5,000.
- Ignore a clogged interceptor and face an administrative fine of up to $250 per failure. For each failure to clean a grease interceptor or trap, the administrative fine can reach up to $250.
Illegal Dumping Defined
DEP inspectors list three red‑flag violations:
- Mixing fryer oil with solid waste at a landfill.
- Storing drums without lids or containment in the back‑lot storage area during a tropical storm alert.
- Using an unlicensed hauler who tips oil in a random field.
Each repeat counts as a subsequent violation: fines jump to $5,000, and the hauler’s license can be revoked for 12 months. Regular interceptor inspections keep kitchens compliant and odor‑free. Regular inspections of grease traps also help ensure proper maintenance and compliance. Proper grease disposal keeps pipes clear.
Paper Trail: The Service Manifest
South Florida keeps the chain tight with a triplicate service manifest:
| Copy | Holder | Key Fields |
|---|---|---|
| White | Kitchen (Originator Section) | Gallons, ticket number provided, signature |
| Yellow | Hauler (Hauler Section) | License ID, route, signature |
| Pink | Processor (Disposal Facility Section) | Facility permit, signature |
A completed service manifest showing gallons of grease waste disposed, destination, and three signatures must stay on‑site for one year. Businesses must retain a signed, completed service manifest for one year. The service manifest must be retained on-site by the grease waste originator and the grease waste hauler for one year. Lose it and you face a $250 citation; fail to present it and DEP can fine up to $100 per missing form. Keep originals in a binder beside the monthly billing receipt.
County Fine Schedule and Corrective Actions
| County | First Offense | Repeat Offense | Inspecting Entity / Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami‑Dade | $500 + cleanup | $5,000 + community service | DERM – 305‑372‑6789 |
| Broward County | $500 | $5,000 + court costs | Code Compliance – 954‑831‑4000 |
| Palm Beach | $250 | $2,500/day accrual | Water Utilities – 561‑493‑6000 |
Inspectors may also order corrective actions—pump‑out within 24 hours, interceptor upgrade, staff retraining. Non‑compliance bumps the case to the successor agency named in the state constitution and, if waterways are hit, to the federal government.
Proper Disposal, Step by Step
- Store fryer oil in a locked drum linked to the originator’s grease interceptor outlet.
- Call a licensed hauler; reference the previous ticket number.
- Supervise the pickup, log gallons of grease waste removed.
- Sign the manifest, have the hauler sign.
- Verify the disposal facility operator emails a PDF of the signed pink copy within 24 hours.
Follow these five moves and both local governments and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will mark your file compliant.
Best Practices to Ensure Compliance
- Adopt rules naming a “grease captain” in the SOP.
- Label tanks “USED OIL—FOOD GRADE.”
- Post hauler telephone numbers and ordinance references.
- Run quarterly self‑audits; match manifests to invoices.
- Mount CCTV over tanks to deter theft and verify volumes.
- Train staff—clear clogs faster, avoid odors, and protect public health.
The Bottom Line
South Florida’s economy rides on clean beaches and clear canals. Stick to certified grease waste disposal, retain every signed service manifest, and work with haulers who upload digital logs. Partnering with professional grease recycling services helps businesses comply with regulations and protect the environment. Local governments can enforce ordinances that are stricter than state regulations. However, fiscally constrained counties may opt out of certain grease disposal regulations. Do that, and the county visit is painless; skip it, and fines mount faster than a lunchtime fryer load.
