Waste cooking oil from a catering business must be stored so that no oil spills and collected by an authorised collector for recovery or disposal, must not be poured down drains or sewers, cannot be mixed with ordinary kitchen waste and cannot be put in an engine oil bank at a household recycling centre, according to the government’s guidance covering England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

What the government guidance says

Government guidance on food and cooking oil waste, marked as applying to England, Northern Ireland and Wales, says anyone who produces waste cooking oil as part of a catering business must ensure it is stored properly, with no spillage, and collected by an authorised collector who takes it to an authorised site for recovery or disposal. The page dates from 2018, so a business should also check current local authority and Environment Agency requirements. Scotland has its own rules, which this guide does not cover.

Why it cannot go down the drain

The guidance states that waste cooking oil must not be poured down drains or sewers because it causes blockages, bad smells, vermin problems and polluted watercourses, and that pouring it down a drain can result in potential prosecution. In England and Wales, section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991 prohibits any person from throwing, emptying or letting pass into a public sewer, or a drain or sewer communicating with one, any matter likely to injure the sewer or drain, to interfere with the free flow of its contents or to prejudice the treatment and disposal of its contents. Contravening the section is an offence, punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum plus a daily fine of up to £50 after conviction, and on indictment by up to two years in prison or a fine or both. The section applies to any person, so it is not limited to catering businesses.

Why it cannot go in with other kitchen waste

The guidance says cooking oil must not be thrown out with the rest of the catering or kitchen waste, because it can cause spillages, bad smells and pollution problems, and can lead to waste contractors refusing to remove the waste. A business that mixes cooking oil into a general commercial collection risks a refused collection. Our guide to food waste collections for businesses covers how food waste is separated, and the wider rules for liquids are explained in our guide to liquid and trade effluent waste.

Why recycling centre oil banks are not an option

According to the guidance, waste cooking oil from a business cannot be taken to a household recycling centre and put into the engine oil banks there. These centres are also called civic amenity sites and are not for commercial waste. The guidance adds that placing cooking oil in an oil bank will make the entire contents of the skip unsuitable for recycling. The sources describe the restriction in the context of commercial cooking oil; for what a household can take to a particular centre, the council’s own list applies.

Using an authorised collector

The guidance puts the obligation on the business that produces the oil to make sure it is collected by an authorised collector. Our guides to the waste duty of care and to checking a waste carrier explain how to confirm registration and what records to keep. Comparing collection contracts is covered in our guide to business waste contracts.

A separate rule on animal feed

The guidance also states that using scraps and catering waste, including waste cooking oil from catering premises, as animal feed, or as an ingredient in it, is an offence in Northern Ireland, to safeguard animal health and the food chain, and that England, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own animal by-products enforcement regulations: the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. In Northern Ireland, enforcement of cooking oil disposal is split between district council environmental health departments and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

FAQs

Can I pour cooking oil down the sink at home?

Section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991 applies to any person in England and Wales and prohibits letting matter that interferes with the free flow of a sewer pass into it, and the government guidance says pouring waste cooking oil into drains can lead to prosecution.

Can a restaurant put cooking oil in the general bin?

No. The guidance says it cannot be thrown out with other kitchen waste because it can cause spillages and contractors may refuse to collect it.

Can a business take used oil to the council tip?

No. The guidance says waste cooking oil cannot go into engine oil banks at household recycling centres, which are not for commercial waste.

Who collects waste cooking oil from a business?

An authorised collector, who takes it to an authorised site for recovery or disposal.

The bottom line

Waste cooking oil from a catering business must be stored without spillage and handed to an authorised collector, and must never go down a drain, in general kitchen waste or in a household recycling centre oil bank. Section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991 makes it an offence in England and Wales to let matter that interferes with the free flow of a sewer pass into it. This is general information, not legal advice, and Scotland has separate rules.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 24 September 2026:

• GOV.UK, “Food and cooking oil waste” (applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales)
• legislation.gov.uk, “Water Industry Act 1991, section 111: Restrictions on use of public sewers”

Related guides

Compare Waste Removal is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.