Whenever restaurants do the dishes (and there are usually a lot of them), they are not just sending soap suds down the drain. While it may not seem like a lot — especially if you are not a fast-food restaurant or a fish n’ chips joint — there will be grease any time you work with anything such as butter, oil, dairy, dressing or lard.
And the more accumulated grease you are letting run down into the sink, the more you could be clogging your drainage system. FOGs (fats, oils, and greases) are among the biggest menaces to drain pipes and sewers and could attract hefty fines from the water companies if yours cross threshold amounts.
So if you are looking to dispose of FOGs safely while keeping your equipment squeaky-clean, here are some handy tips to help you out:
1. Reduce food waste as much as possible
As a provider of food waste management solutions, we feel the first step towards safe waste disposal is — not to have more of it than you can help! That is right.
And you can do so by using insights from your inventory and sales to determine how ingredients are used and how waste can be minimised.
For instance, if diners are routinely leaving the side salad uneaten, consider removing it from the dish or charging extra for it as a separate item. Reducing food waste does not necessarily keep the drainage system safe but it is good for the environment.
2. Dispose of all food scraps
Solid food scraps can lead to significant blockages when they congeal with grease and accumulate. Luckily, solids are also the easiest to dispose of in advance. Have your kitchen staff thoroughly clean away all bits of food from plates, utensils, Bratt pans, storage items, and kitchen surfaces.
Plus, before putting anything in the dishwasher or sink, wipe them over with a paper towel to catch any residual portions. If you use a mechanical food disposal unit, consider switching to biodigesters such as BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG.
It employs microorganisms to break food scraps down into wastewater, which can easily be disposed of down the drain, unlike mechanical options that break the food up into smaller pieces by mixing it with water and thus do not eliminate the risk of food getting stuck in pipelines and drains.
3. Let a waste contractor handle the oils
If you are wondering how to dispose of FOG material safely, you are not alone. Most restaurants do not have the equipment in place to do so, which is why you should get a licensed waste contractor to handle it for you.
All you need to do is pour all leftover oils and greasy material into containers that they can collect. You can even consider working with a waste contractor to recycle the FOG waste into biodiesel production or electricity generation.
4. Install FOG systems
As far as possible, restaurants should make conscious efforts to dispose of FOG material in safe ways, and this includes investing in dedicated systems to do so.
Simply pouring leftover frying oil into a bottle is not enough. There is a lot of grease that gets stuck to plates and ends up down the drain unless you take proper precautions. Here are the options you have when it comes to handling that grease:
a. Grease traps
These are the most commonly used options in restaurants and can be made from metal or plastic.
They are based on the principle that oil and water do not mix when installed in a sink, any grease gets caught in the trap and can be collected for disposal later while the water flows out.
Grease traps are easy to set up and use but are not the most efficient solution on their own for FOG disposal.
b. Grease removal units
These are also based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. However, unlike a grease trap, these help remove FOG material by regularly skimming off the top of wastewater to be kept in a separate container for disposal, allowing the size of each unit to be smaller.
c. Drain dosing systems
These use enzymes or live bacteria that can break down FOG into simpler compounds through a process known as bioremediation. Drain dosing systems come as wall-mounted units that are hygienic, odour-free, and easy to use, making them perfect for a busy restaurant setting.
They can be used in combination with regular grease traps or as part of a combined drainage system. However, these straight enzymes, which are efficient enough, leave fat to flow through the pipes and eventually block them. That brings us to the next point.
d. BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG
You would be surprised to know a new product breaks down the fat, completely eliminating it, unlike drain dosing systems. BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG comprises diverse biocatalytic materials degrading contaminants into granular forms until removed from the waters. Introduced to the UK market via us, the product is 100% natural, environmentally friendly, and easy on the pocket.
Over to you
If you want a quick fix for dealing with FOGs in your restaurant, you have to find an effective solution. And in our opinion, BiOWiSH® Aqua FOG is the most suitable option of all. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us on 01442 503929 or email enquiries@waste2es.com today! Let us deal with FOGs the right way.
