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Yesterday’s Fryer Oil, Tomorrow’s Flight
U.S. kitchens pour out ≈ 3 billion lb of used cooking oil (UCO) every year. Airlines want it: up to 80 % of all new SAF in the next five years will be made through the HEFA pathway that relies on UCO, cutting lifecycle emissions as much as 80 % compared with Jet A. Our own Grease Connections drivers see the demand firsthand: South Florida tankers now head straight from our Miami depot to a nearby HEFA refinery every Friday. The message is simple: when you keep oil clean, you help fuel the next departure board and earn for it.
Five Stops from Kitchen to Cockpit
A typical quick service restaurant produces about 35 lb oil/day. Here’s where Grease Connections steps in:
- Cool & pour into a lidded tank: our techs remind crews never to top past 75 % to leave room for expansion.
- Smart pickup: our trucks scan the tank tag; a digital manifest hits your inbox before we roll out.
- Pre treatment at a regional hub; solids skimmed in under 20 minutes thanks to our heated centrifugal units.
- Refinery gate: UCO enters hydroprocessing, stripping oxygen and isomerizing chains to jet spec molecules.
- Blend & fly: 865 000 + commercial flights have already used SAF.
What’s Your Oil Worth Today?
USDA spot sheets list yellow grease at $0.33 to $0.45 / lb this week, driving an underground market. One Missouri thief siphoned 258 gal in a single night, nearly $1 000 in diesel equivalent value. Grease Connections curbs that risk with locked lids and GPS sealed pickups; our Orlando district hasn’t lost a gallon since switching to tamper proof hatches last year. Beyond cash, each gallon of UCO based biodiesel can generate LCFS credits; Florida is tightening those rules to push prices higher. Expect the new federal 45Z clean fuel credit to add even more upside when it starts in 2025.
Stay Compliant, Stay Open
EPA’s FOG guide bans any drain disposal and requires documented pickups. NFPA 96 caps unprotected indoor storage at 60 gal for Class IIIB liquids. Grease Connections’ technicians install secondary containment trays that slide out for quick wash downs: health inspectors in Miami tell us it’s the fastest way to ace surprise visits. Our manifests meet cradle to grave traceability rules, a growing focus after reports of fraudulent UCO imports.
How We Beat Grease Bandits
Field lesson: illuminated enclosures plus our steel “shark tooth” lids cut attempted siphoning by 60 % at a Dallas diner row last quarter. Cameras help prosecution, but speed helps more: our average pump out takes five minutes, leaving nothing for thieves. If an overnight spill happens, absorbent socks from our spill kit bag stop oil before it reaches drains; every new customer gets one free at signup.
Choosing the Right Tank: Grease Connections’ Picks
| Tank Size | Best For | Field Tip (from our crews) | Typical Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 gal drum | Food trucks | Keep under 60 gal code; we swap a clean drum each visit | ≤ 80 lb / wk |
| 70 gal caddy (wheels) | Small QSR | Park on level pad; our swivel hose fits the lid port | ≤ 120 lb / wk |
| 140 gal locking box | Casual dine | Bolt to concrete; Miami sites cut theft to zero | ≤ 250 lb / wk |
| 300 gal hose tank | High volume chains | Built in heater keeps flow in winter | ≤ 550 lb / wk |
Inside the Refinery: Where Oil Turns to SAF
Hydrotreating removes oxygen; isomerization tailors freeze points. HEFA is still the only fully commercial SAF route, supplying 80 % of today’s volumes. For every 1 000 gal processed, lifecycle CO₂ drops roughly 70 t compared with petroleum jet A. Grease Connections contracts guarantee our loads head to SAF, not lower value diesel, so your waste truly helps aviation decarbonize.
ESG Story Your Customers Will Love
One fast food location recycling with us diverts 12 000 + lb of oil a year (based on our Atlanta route logs). We bundle annual recycling reports you can post on menu boards or RFPs: proof that your fries help power flights, not landfills. With travelers and corporate buyers asking for low carbon dining, this is a story worth telling.
Quick Fire FAQ
- Minimum pickup? We start at 50 gal, about two weeks for a busy diner.
- Hot water down the drain? Still illegal under FOG rules.
- Are imports losing credit eligibility? Yes, as 45Z favors domestic, fully traced oil.
- Does SAF really fly now? 865 000 + flights so far.
- Where next? Check our Miami service page for pickup times and rebates.
Next Step
Book a free call. We’ll size the right tank, lock down theft risks, and send your oil on a one way trip to a SAF refinery: Grease Connections does the heavy lifting while you keep cooking.
Grease Connections’ boots on the ground insights plus rigorously cited data give restaurants the most complete, actionable roadmap to turn grease into jet fuel and profit.
