How do you dispose of oil from tinned fish?

[adrianmolesmole]

My friend pours his straight in the bin (!?), but I've always poured mine in a bowl mixed with fairy liquid to break it up and then pour it down the sink. Is there a proper way?!

Dumb question I know, but it's a slow night..

I buy tuna in spring water and anchovies in olive oil which I tend to put into what I am cooking. Any waste oil goes into a jar in my house and when full it is brought to our local recycling centre. They have a section where they collect containers of cooking oil.

Wow, all you people tipping it down the drain need to buy it in water/brine instead. I intentionally get the oil because the omega 3's and other vitamins are fat soluble so it's really healthy. I buy it for the kids and add in to pasta/ whatever I'm cooking the fish with, makes a brilliant tuna mayonaise, I don't save the oil I use it immediately along with the fish.

@OchreBlue I think that's the problem...we've all come from buying it in brine/spring water...and haven't quite fully connected its oil.

I mean we know its oil, but habit says tuna is drained off in the sink before use...so that's what you do, internally thinking...this water is really oily.

I don't eat tuna and my mother didn't teach me anything about how to run a house, but I do know that you aren't supposed to put fats/oils down the sink. What I'm not sure about though is washing things like frying pans and the butter dish. I wipe them out with kitchen roll before I wash them, to try to get out most of the fat, but obviously thay leaves some butter or oiliness smeared on the pan or butter dish. Is it ok to then wash them up in the sink even though there's still some fat on them? Is there some method of washing them up that I'm not aware of? Probably a stupid question but all the people being so firm about not putting oil down the sink have made me worry I should be doing something different.

Well I never... I always assumed fatbergs were formed of saturated fat and baby wipes and although I don't buy fish in oil, I would tip sunflower oil or olive oil down the sink in the past - not any more!

Thanks to this thread I've googled and read about it - the "Whitechapel fat berg" was 90% cooking oil.

Consider my habits changed! ✔️

I can remember aunties saying "oil yes, fat no" about pouring them away... I'm glad I know otherwise now

I wipe the oil out of the container with kitchen roll, which goes in the bin.

If you have a diesel engined car you may be able to add it to the fuel.
I think you have to pour it through a tea-strainer and adjust some thingymebob in the engine.
You should also notify HMRC as there are duty and VAT considerations.

NB don't use the spring water version

I normally by the ones in water. but if in oil, I would use it for cooking, and excess oil will be soaked into a paper towel and into the bin. Too tasty to just throw away.

I buy in olive oil, mush it up with fish and eat it, no waste I suppose could use in cooking.
I put glass jars into recycling so seems a waste to put them in landfill with oil? Interestingly, some antipasti are in oil mixed with vinegar and as vinegar cleans grease I reckon it probably reacts with oil in such a way that it wouldn't congeal?

Just thinking aloud, if a dishwasher cleans all fat/grease etc off, maybe detergents break up fat?

@YogaLite

I buy in olive oil, mush it up with fish and eat it, no waste I suppose could use in cooking. I put glass jars into recycling so seems a waste to put them in landfill with oil? Interestingly, some antipasti are in oil mixed with vinegar and as vinegar cleans grease I reckon it probably reacts with oil in such a way that it wouldn't congeal?

Vinegar doesn’t clean oil.

It forms an emulsion when you shake a mixture of the two but they tend to separate out again if you leave them to stand. And even so, the oil doesn’t disappear. It’s still there and of course it doesn’t matter what you else pour down the sink - it’s the fact that you are pouring oil down the sink that causes the problem.

@Beamur

I put it on my dogs biscuits for a yummy treat. Otherwise I would do the same as you.

I also do this.

@YogaLite

Just thinking aloud, if a dishwasher cleans all fat/grease etc off, maybe detergents break up fat?

Detergents just disperse the oil into smaller droplets. It’s still there. There’s no chemical reaction taking place to change the oil into something that doesn’t contribute to a fatberg.

Don't pour oil down the sink. Pour into a lidded container and continue until full then throw in the bin. Gross, but keep it hidden and it's a good way to avoid fatbergs or leaking bins

But if oil is liquid in the fridge, surely it must still be liquid in the drains?

I wouldn't put solid fat (eg goose fat) down the drain, but I expect there will be fat in stools going down the toilet that is more problematic? Think how much fat must be in what we eat (and excrete as solids, even chocolate)...

Could do with an expert on how we metabolise fats and another expert how they clean the sewers..

Soak it up with kitchen roll and put it in the bin.

@YogaLite

But if oil is liquid in the fridge, surely it must still be liquid in the drains?

I wouldn't put solid fat (eg goose fat) down the drain, but I expect there will be fat in stools going down the toilet that is more problematic? Think how much fat must be in what we eat (and excrete as solids, even chocolate)...

Could do with an expert on how we metabolise fats and another expert how they clean the sewers..

Are you seriously finding it impossible to accept that you can’t pour oil down the sink?

Just read the thread and watch the video I linked to upthread. It’s quick to watch and really simple to understand.

@Graffitiqueen

Soak it up with kitchen roll and put it in the bin.

I do this. We have a good bin so no problem with smells or leakage.

but I expect there will be fat in stools going down the toilet that is more problematic? Think how much fat must be in what we eat (and excrete as solids, even chocolate)...

According to wiki, stools are 75% water and of the remainder 2-15% fat, so that's between 0.5 to a bit under 4 percent fat overall. Nothing like pouring oil down a drain.

According to wiki, stools are 75% water and of the remainder 2-15% fat, so that's between 0.5 to a bit under 4 percent fat overall. Nothing like pouring oil down a drain.

And that fat is wrapped in... other stuff.

Why don’t you cook with it? It’s full of flavour. Alternatively buy no drain or spring water versions.

also give it to the dogs or cats.

Or soak bread in it and throw it out for the birds.

...You can put it in the food recycling bin.

Always down the sink! I think Jack Monroe or another author advocates mixing with spaghetti though