Partner Spotlight: Green Grease

Candace MorganArticles, Behind the scenes, Partner Spotlight

green grease logo

Chicago Bar Shop’s strategic partnerships and preferred vendors cover nearly every aspect of bar design and restaurant operations, including the removal, disposal, and recycling of used cooking oils. The popular question arises often with new restaurateurs and bar owners, “What do I do with my restaurant fryer’s used cooking oil?” The answer from us isn’t the typical “get an oil disposal dumpster” because through years of experience as bar and restaurant owners ourselves- this has taught us that not all used cooking oil disposal companies are created as equals. So who do we chose for our own bars? Green Grease Environmental.

Proper used cooking oil disposal is a necessary service to any bar or restaurant that operates a fryer (or multiple fryers) at their location. Depending on the size volume of an establishment, used cooking or fryer oil disposal may be a weekly or even daily task depending on volume. These large quantities of oil are placed in a special oil disposal container similar in size (or smaller) than an average garbage dumpster is placed in the outside trash refuse area, typically near the garbage dumpsters. It’s important that these units are maintained, and emptied regularly to ensure sanitary conditions and safety.

Having a well maintained oil storage unit is important for restaurants, although some grease collection services will let their bins deteriorate with faulty lids, become caked in rancid oils, or worse yet- allow them to nearly overflow without emptying. Green Grease provides an oil collection receptacle with lid at no cost, and has an impeccable record of cleanly and prompt service. Their collection trucks just pull up and suction the oil with a hose, and ensure the grease collection area is clean and well-maintained. What’s really great though, is what happens AFTER your old cooking oil is collected.

Green Grease recycles your oil into new products. Biodiesel, handsoap, and wiper fluid can all be created from your dirty old fryer oil. Having partnered up with Loyola Univeristy, Green Grease is committed to helping the environment by creating a renewable direct replacement for petroleum diesel fuel- and they do it together, all right in the heart of Chicago. Undergraduate students in Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability chemically convert the used cooking oil into biodiesel, for use locally and will not sell overseas. The fuel is used to help in fueling the Loyola University Chicago shuttle bus fleet and is available for sale (wholesale only.)

Reduced pollution, reduced dependence on foreign oil, and no-hassle oil disposal for restaurant owners/operators/managers. Green Grease even sends over a report letting the customers know how much pollution they have offset by using their oil recycling program. You can find out more about the Green Grease Enviornmental oil recycling program here.

green grease sample report

Ready to sign up with, or change over to Green Grease? Call Green Grease and tell them Chicago Bar Shop sent you, or contact us today and we can get you set-up.