Table of Contents
Festival Season Grease Disposal Playbook
A single splash of fry oil on Biscayne Bay can erase a weekend’s profit once Miami Dade inspectors arrive. This guide unpacks the exact fats oils grease (FOG) rules now baked into Art Basel, Ultra Music Festival, and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SoBeWFF). You’ll see the legally accepted container sizes, where spill prevention zones start, and why Florida’s SB 1110 manifest rule means every late night pickup must be recorded. Our goal: keep pop up vendors focused on sales, not citations.
Why Miami’s Big Three Hardened FOG Rules
Festival volumes jumped 40% post pandemic, forcing organizers to align with Miami Dade’s tougher 2022 FOG control order and SB 1110’s statewide hauling mandate. Ultra publicly ties vendor passes to its “Leave No Trace” commitment, banning any un approved fluid discharge on Bayfront Park turf. Art Basel has pledged waste cutting targets that mirror Gallery Climate Coalition standards, pressing exhibitors to pre register every waste stream, including cooking oil. SoBeWFF, managed by FIU, now mirrors county guidelines after a 2022 auditor flagged missing manifests.
Art Basel Miami Beach: Convention Center Ground Rules
Vendors inside the Miami Beach Convention Center must hold an active Grease Discharge Operating Permit (GDO) and prove that trap clean outs match the frequency printed on that permit. Containers over 95 gal cannot sit on the main loading dock; they relocate nightly to the South Lot, 150 ft from storm drains. Basel’s sustainability office recommends 70 gal wheeled caddies for booths with < 800 covers to minimize lift hazard claims. After hours pickups run 22:00 to 04:00 to avoid alley congestion; Miami Dade county haulers must upload digital manifests within 12 h.
Ultra Music Festival: Bayfront Park Spill Prevention Zones
Ultra overlays a red “no pour” zone 50 ft from seawall drain outlets; any grease transfer here triggers automatic fine escalation to $5,000 under SB 1110. Vendors must stage containers on secondary containment mats rated ≥ 110% of vessel capacity. All single day food stalls (< 6 ft frontage) use sealed 55 gal drums swapped every 12 h; larger food courts deploy 300 gal tanks craned in pre event. Overflow alarms or visible sheen demand a verbal report to DERM within four hours and written notice within five days.
South Beach Wine & Food Festival: Multi Site Coordination
SoBeWFF spans beaches, rooftop hotels, and FIU campus lawns, complicating FOG logistics. Each venue assigns a “zone captain” who signs your manifest before you re enter service roads. Beachfront sites prohibit any wheeled caddy larger than 70 gal on sand; vendors instead pipe to 140 gal rectangular tanks staged on plywood decks near Ocean Drive. Pickups occur 02:00 to 05:30 to clear traffic for sunrise beach clean crews. Emergency swaps (< 90 min request) are contracted to haulers offering 24/7 response.
Container Cheat Sheet (specs approved by Miami Dade)
| Container | Capacity (gal) | Footprint (in) | Best For | Placement Zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drum | 55 | 24×35 | Single fryer; tight booths | Indoors, spill pan |
| Caddy | 70 | 28×40 | Basel booths < 800 covers | Dock corner |
| Cart | 95 | 30×44 | Food trucks at Ultra | Paved service lanes |
| Tank | 140 | 48×40 | SoBeWFF beach tents | Plywood deck |
| Tank | 300 | 60×60 | Mega courts, Ultra | Back of house yard |
| Smart Pump Cart | – | 24×48 | Automated refill lines | High volume trailers |
SB 1110 Manifests & After Hours Pickup Rules
Florida’s SB 1110 bans “pump and return” and requires that haulers empty every gallon, issue a three part manifest, and deliver loads to a licensed facility, with both hauler and originator retaining copies for 12 months. Festivals layer an extra deadline: scans must be uploaded to the event portal by 09:00 the morning after service or vendor fees are docked. Basel audits at 30%, Ultra at 50%, SoBeWFF at 25% of vendors daily. Off schedule swaps are free only between 22:00 to 05:00; daytime calls incur surge fees.
Spill Response Checklist & Reporting Timeline
| Task | Deadline | Responsible | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal spill report to DERM | ≤ 4 h | Shift lead | Call log |
| Overflow containment & mat change | ≤ 6 h | Hauler | Photo |
| Written follow up | ≤ 5 days | Vendor | PDF upload |
DERM flags non compliance for civil penalty review; repeat offenses can suspend your GDO.
Staff Briefing Script For Opening Day
Start every shift with a 90 second huddle: confirm lid seals, check absorbent booms, and remind cooks that fry pot dumps outside containers trigger immediate stand closure. Miami Beach’s “FOG Do’s & Don’ts” poster must hang eye level by the sink. Have runners photograph gauge levels at noon and 18:00 for Ultra; at Basel and SoBeWFF snap once per day. Store images in the shared folder tied to your vendor pass.
Permit Links & Hotline Numbers
- Miami Dade Permits Portal, DERM Complaint Desk (305 372 6955),
- Basel Sustainability Office (email)
- Ultra Vendor Ops (hotline)
- SoBeWFF Zone Captains (list)
- Grease Connections Miami – (305) 204-5207 – Used Cooking Oil Collection Link
Keep these near the manifest clip board.
Ready To Ship Out Your Waste Oil?
Schedule your festival compliant pickup now. We install the right container, preload spill mats, and guarantee manifest uploads before sunrise; so inspectors walk past your booth. Text “FEST-FOG” to (305) 204-5207 for a same day quote.
