For businesses in the food service industry, grease traps are essential for collecting waste such as used cooking fats, oils, and grease. In other words, all of the gunk produced in food preparation would otherwise cause many different problems if it weren’t collected and managed properly. When grease traps are not properly cleaned and maintained, they create a situation where these fatty substances can find their way into our water systems. This can cause environmental harm, including water pollution.
Properly maintained grease traps are essential to prevent pollution and environmental damage. Let’s take a closer look at exactly how proper grease trap cleaning makes a difference with insights from our experts at NW Biofuel.
The Purpose of Grease Traps for Food Service Businesses
Grease traps are devices installed in the plumbing systems of food services businesses to collect used fats and oils from cooking before they have the chance to enter the pipes or sewage system. As the name implies, grease is trapped, which prevents it from causing blockages and other issues that can lead to costly plumbing repairs.
However, for these food service businesses, grease traps offer more than a practical safeguard against serious plumbing issues. They also serve as an important tool in the prevention of our public sewer systems becoming plagued by excessive amounts of FOG (fats, oils, and grease) waste.
The Environmental Impact of Fats, Oils, and Grease in Water Systems
Once FOG waste makes its way into the sewage system, the journey doesn’t end there. Eventually, it can make its way into our water systems where it can have a significant impact and lead to environmental damage. Fats, oils, and grease can form a film on the surface of our natural bodies of water, such as rivers and oceans.
To illustrate the damage this can cause, think about a clear glass of water with even a small amount of oil added to it. The oil floats to the top, creating a layer opaque enough that it is difficult to see through. Any FOG film that forms on top of a body of water restricts the amount of sunlight that makes it through the surface. As FOG breaks down, it also impacts oxygen levels and disrupts aquatic ecosystems in significant ways.
From the potentially damaging effects on sewage systems to the risk of water pollution, FOG pollution has become a serious environmental issue. While there are contributors to this outside of the food service industry, proper maintenance and cleaning of grease traps is one step that businesses can take to make a positive impact.
How Regular Grease Trap Cleaning Can Prevent Water Pollution
Grease traps are highly effective at keeping FOG waste out of sewage systems and water resources. However, they only work when they are properly maintained. When regularly cleaned and functioning as they should, grease traps are one of the most important tools for reducing the burden of FOGs on wastewater facilities.
This allows wastewater treatment facilities to work more efficiently in their processes to remove other contaminants, ultimately preventing higher levels of untreated wastewater from flowing into the natural body of water.
This is the quick snapshot version of how grease trap cleaning helps to reduce water pollution and support a cleaner environment. Still, with just this level of knowledge, it’s easy to see the environmental value of proper care and cleaning of grease trap systems around the world.
What Happens When Grease Traps Aren’t Cleaned Properly
So, if properly cleaned grease traps support a cleaner environment, what happens when they are not maintained as they should be? The impact is equally significant, but in a much less positive way.
Grease traps must be cleansed on a regular schedule. Fats, oils, and grease can build up quickly. When not cleaned, they overflow, which instantly leads to a number of other serious potential issues. Of course, the first, immediate consequence is damage to plumbing and sewage systems to the point that costly, disruptive repairs are needed. Clogged sinks, drains, and larger plumbing issues can cause businesses money not just in terms of repairs but also downtime.
With the level of disruption this can cause, it makes sense that many food services businesses don’t ever look past this point in considering the benefits of properly cleaned grease traps. However, the environmental impact is significant. When grease traps aren’t maintained, we begin to see untreated sewage spilling into local rivers and lakes. We see wildlife affected by the pollution, and it becomes more and more difficult for the affected natural ecosystems to recover.
Today’s Best Practices for Grease Trap Maintenance
Fortunately, keeping grease traps in working order doesn’t require much in terms of effort from businesses, especially if they’re partnering with a reliable professional grease trap cleaning service. The first step to effective grease trap management is setting and following a consistent cleaning schedule.
How frequently grease traps need to be cleaned depends on a number of factors. First is the load of waste the grease traps are handling. A regular cleaning schedule is important regardless, however food service businesses that deal with larger volumes of FOG waste will require a more frequent cleaning and maintenance schedule. This might look like weekly or bi-weekly cleaning based on the business’s needs. Local regulations might also factor into how frequently grease trap maintenance is required.
Aside from establishing a grease trap cleaning and maintenance schedule, proper employee training is one of the most important steps for ensuring grease traps work properly to prevent fat and oil waste from polluting waterways. Training kitchen staff on how to properly dispose of oils or adhere to a cooking oil recycling plan helps to ensure the most efficient use of grease trap systems.
Food Service Businesses and Their Role in Preventing Water Pollution
For food service businesses, grease traps are essential tools, both for preventing plumbing damage and fighting against water pollution. By capturing FOG waste before it can reach municipal water systems, food service businesses are able to play a vital role in protecting our earth’s delicate ecosystems. In addition to grease trap cleaning, used cooking oil recycling programs also play a beneficial role in protecting the environment.
At Northwest Biofuel, we specialize in grease trap cleaning, maintenance, and used cooking oil recycling. Our mission is to support food service businesses by offering professional, efficient, and reliable grease trap maintenance services. We encourage you to reach out to Northwest Biofuel today to learn more about how we can help your food service business make a more positive environmental impact.