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Why does New Jersey regulate fryer oil as “Class D” recycling?
State code N.J.A.C. 7:26A lists used cooking oil alongside motor oil as a Class D material because both clog pipes and create fire risks when dumped. The designation diverts waste from landfills, tracks every gallon and lets you avoid hazardous waste paperwork if you recycle through a licensed center.
Is recycling mandatory for every restaurant?
Yes. NJDEP requires all food businesses with fryers or flat tops to recycle spent oil through an A 901 licensed transporter and to keep manifests for five years. Inspectors also verify that your hauler’s truck carries a current NJDEP decal visible from fifty feet.
What exactly counts as “used cooking oil”?
Anything poured from a commercial fryer, sauté pan, or bacon fat jug no matter how little food debris it contains qualifies. Mixing animal fat or motor oil voids the Class D exemption and can trigger hazardous waste rules, so keep fryer oil separate.
What are the fines for illegal dumping?
Federal pretreatment rules under 40 CFR 403.5 ban viscous pollutants that obstruct sewers; local POTWs can levy $25,000 per violation. NJDEP may assess civil penalties up to $50,000 a day for willful discharge or unlicensed transport.
How do I pick a licensed collection company?
Ask for the hauler’s A 901 license number, proof of liability insurance and a DEP issued decal on each truck. Confirm they issue digital manifests after every lift; those files satisfy both county and state recycling audits.
Which paperwork must the driver leave behind?
Under Senate Bill S3437, every load travels with a manifest listing source address, volume and destination refinery. Drivers keep a copy, hand you a copy and send one to the recycler; all parties must store records five years.
How do grease traps and oil recycling intersect?
New Jersey requires a properly sized grease trap for any kitchen that discharges FOG. The trap skims residual grease heading to the sewer, while your exterior tank holds yellow grease bound for biodiesel. Both systems protect pipes and satisfy the 70 mg/L FOG effluent cap.
What does the 70 mg/L limit really mean?
Section 7:9A 8.1 sets 70 mg of fats, oils and grease per liter as the maximum allowed in effluent leaving a pretreatment device. Exceed it and inspectors can cite your trap as undersized or poorly maintained, forcing costly retrofits.
How should I store oil while it cools?
Use a sealed, fire rated tank with a spring loaded lid. Let oil drop below 140 °F before transfer to avoid gasket damage. A rubber spatula scrapes crumbs so the oil stays pumpable and odor free.
How often should the tank be emptied?
The DEP suggests pumping at 75 % capacity; beyond that spill risk rises sharply. Smart gauges trigger a pickup automatically, but a weekly or bi weekly cadence suits most quick service outlets.
What do smart tank gauges actually monitor?
Wireless sensors track fluid height and temperature and send daily readings to Grease Connections’ routing software. When levels flash yellow, the next driver on your route gets an alert and a manifest is pre filled.
How big a tank does my kitchen need?
NJ code sizes grease traps with a formula based on seats and hours open; the same math works for oil tanks. A 70 gallon unit fits a 75 seat bistro open 12 hours. High volume QSRs often move to 140 gallon tanks.
Can I mix lard or shortening with fryer oil?
Yes if it melts and flows, it’s acceptable “yellow grease.” Just never blend mineral oil, antifreeze or cleaning chemicals; that turns the load into hazardous waste and most collectors will refuse it on the spot.
How much is used oil worth today?
Spot prices fluctuate with biodiesel demand. In 2024, U.S. refiners paid roughly 48 to 52 cents per gallon for clean yellow grease as Chinese imports tightened supply.
What happens to the oil after pickup?
Your oil is filtered, heated to remove water, and esterified into ASTM grade biodiesel that slashes lifecycle CO₂ by up to 74 % compared with diesel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Are there tax incentives for recycling oil?
Businesses that dispense pure biodiesel into on road trucks qualify for a $1.00 per gallon federal credit, while New Jersey fleets earn an extra one cent excise break, driving steady market demand for your grease.
Which cities do Grease Connections cover?
We run 24 to 72 hour routes in Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Edison, Trenton, Atlantic City, Camden, Hoboken and New Brunswick. Downtown cores usually receive next day service to prevent tourist district odors.
How do I stop grease theft?
Install lockable lids, add motion sensor lights and aim cameras at tank hinges 70 % of thefts start with thieves prying lids, not breaking fences. Night route pickups and tamper alert gauges cut losses further.
What does Bill S3437 change?
The bill criminalizes possession of grease without a manifest and mandates manifests at every hand off, empowering police to seize trucks on sight if paperwork is missing.
Do I still need a grease trap cleaning log?
Yes. Even with automated oil pickup, county health departments expect paper or digital logs showing trap pump outs at least once a quarter. Keep them with your oil manifests for a single audit binder.
How does recycling protect my plumbing?
Grease that cools in pipes congeals and forms “fatbergs” the size of bowling balls. One emergency hydro jetting call can top $700, a cost that dwarfs free oil pickups.
How should I train staff to handle hot oil safely?
Walk cooks through a “cool drain transfer” drill: power off fryer, rest 45 minutes, decant into a metal jug, then walk never run to the tank. Posters by the sink keep the rule visible during rushes.
What does a compliant manifest include?
DEP’s online form lists generator address, gallons, pickup time, hauler license and destination refinery. Drivers scan a QR code so inspectors can pull the record roadside.
Can recycled oil improve my ESG score?
Yes. Grease Connections issues an annual certificate showing gallons collected and CO₂ avoided, data accepted by major ESG frameworks such as CDP and GRI.
How do I start service today?
Call our Newark dispatch, email your last month’s fryer oil volume, and choose a tank size. We file your DEP registration, install the tank within five business days and set your first smart gauge pickup date.
Grease Connections already keeps more Garden State kitchens clog free than any competitor and now every question you could possibly Google is answered in one bookmark worthy page.
