Disposing of used cooking oil may seem straightforward, but failing to manage it properly can result in costly consequences. In most cases, it is best to turn to a third-party service, so finding the top-rated grease collection providers near you is a crucial part of running an efficient restaurant.
Many grease recycling companies have a nationwide presence, so you may have more options than you realize. While that makes it easier to find one that suits specific needs, it can also complicate the decision-making process. Here is a rundown of the 10 best grease collection services across the country to help make that endeavor a far more straightforward experience.
Contents
- 1 1. Baker Commodities
- 2 2. Grand Natural
- 3 3. DAR PRO Solutions
- 4 4. Smart Alternative Fuels
- 5 5. Mahoney Environmental
- 6 6. Green Nature Recycling
- 7 7. Lifecycle Renewables
- 8 8. D&W Alternative Energy
- 9 9. GreasePros Recycling
- 10 10. Kostelac Grease Service
- 11 Top-Rated Grease Collection Providers Compared
- 12 What to Look for in a Grease Collection Service
- 13 How to Choose a Grease Collection Provider
- 14 Find the Best Grease Collection Provider Near You
1. Baker Commodities
Vernon, California-based Baker Commodities may be the best grease collection provider near you if you fall under its vast service area. Baker has been in service for over 75 years across 13 states and offers far more than just taking used oil.
The Total Grease Management Program includes collection, drain cleaning, power washing, water recovery and preventive maintenance. It also offers grease containment tanks if you’re building or expanding your property and need compliant, secure infrastructure. You can take advantage of its cold storage if you need an off-site freezer and refrigeration space.
Most importantly, Baker Commodities is committed to environmental responsibility. It recycles all the oil it collects, runs a child care and education foundation, and is carbon-negative. These benefits make it an excellent partner for those who want to ensure supply chain sustainability.
2. Grand Natural
Another one of the best grease collection providers is Grand Natural, which has several kitchen services on top of oil management. The brand covers all but seven states and accepts all kinds of used oils and greases.
One unique advantage of Grand Natural is its digital ecosystem. You can schedule appointments with the tap of a button on a dedicated mobile app, which also provides a place to view maintenance reports and manage your billing. Like Baker, Grand Natural sells grease containment products and offers cleaning and maintenance.
You can turn to Grand Natural for non-oil-related tasks, too. The staff can clean kitchen hoods, eliminate pests, inspect fire suppression systems and more. Such offerings make it ideal if you have multiple kitchen concerns to manage but limited staff.
3. DAR PRO Solutions
Darling Ingredients’ DAR PRO Solutions is also worthy of consideration. The broader Darling umbrella covers a range of waste recycling processes for agriculture, food and fuel, and DAR PRO is its branch that deals with commercial oil recovery.
The enterprise covers 90% of the continental U.S. population, so you can likely turn to it as a partner regardless of where your restaurant is located. It has also been in business in one shape or another since 1882, which lends it unmatched expertise in how to handle waste effectively.
On top of collecting grease, DAR PRO will also clean traps, maintain equipment and even gather inedible meat by-products, which not every collector will do. All waste it takes goes to producing renewable fuel, so it is also a good partner for sustainability goals.
4. Smart Alternative Fuels
Another one of the top-rated grease collection providers near you may be Smart Alternative Fuels if you operate in California, Oregon, Washington or Nevada. While the company may lack the footprint of others like Baker and Grand Natural, its quality of service is worth noting.
As its name implies, Smart Alternative Fuels turns used cooking oil into renewable fuel, making it a trustworthy sustainability partner. It also provides extensive cleaning and maintenance to help your establishment avoid costly downtime and repairs. Most notably, it adapts to align these services with your specific needs and goals.
Smart Alternative Fuels’s maintenance line is available around the clock and offers consulting for regulatory compliance. Any restaurant can benefit from that insight, but those in regulation-heavy states or niche industries will get more out of it than most.
5. Mahoney Environmental
For a more widely available oil recycling partner, look to Mahoney Environmental as a solution. This provider serves all 50 states and has an impressive body of experience from working with over 50,000 restaurants nationwide.
Like other full-service grease collection brands, Mahoney offers cleaning and maintenance options in addition to its oil transport. However, it also provides bulk oil delivery, so you can use it in the upstream part of your supply chain, too. Getting both sides from the same provider can simplify billing and operations.
Almost 100% of oil collected by Mahoney goes to renewable fuel feedstocks. Larger restaurants may benefit the most from it, but it is worth consideration for virtually any establishment in this industry.
6. Green Nature Recycling
Food businesses in the greater New York City region should include Green Nature Recycling in their decision-making process. Its customer base may be smaller, but it still covers many restaurants, and many of its services are free.
Green Nature does not charge for most grease pickups and will even buy used oil in bulk if you have enough to sell. Its cleaning and maintenance offerings do require payment, but getting the rest for free can offset those costs.
Switching to Green Nature from an existing partner is also easy. It will notify your old provider for you and manage the removal of the older storage unit and installation of the new one.
7. Lifecycle Renewables
Massachusetts-based Lifecycle Renewables is another top-rated grease collection provider for the Northeast. Like Green Nature, it has a relatively small footprint in terms of state coverage but is close to many major metropolitan areas.
Lifecycle runs two primary operations — a used cooking oil reclamation service and a renewable heating fuel brand made from that oil. Its grease collection includes cleaning and maintenance, as well as a proprietary monitoring technology to alert you of emerging repair concerns. That can be a big benefit for busy facilities.
Another advantage of Lifecycle is it is one of the vendors that will pay you for your used oil. Its additional services may not be as extensive as others, but its cost-effectiveness is hard to overlook for those within reach.
8. D&W Alternative Energy
Northeastern businesses can also turn to D&W Alternative Energy for their grease pickup needs. While it serves just three states, it offers some unique solutions few competitors provide.
Most notably, it sells automated grease management solutions. This infrastructure can streamline kitchen operations and minimize the risk of human errors that may lead to repair issues. You can also turn to D&W for consultancy regarding environmental regulations, which is ideal for those with lofty sustainability goals.
Grease pickup from D&W is free, and it offers 24/7 emergency maintenance. Its other solutions may incur higher upfront costs, though. It’s also not an option for establishments outside of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
9. GreasePros Recycling
For those in Florida, GreasePros Recycling is also worth consideration. Efficiency is the biggest differentiator here, with GreasePros claiming to be the fastest oil disposal service in the state, thanks to its 24/7 availability and route optimization tools.
This brand also offers emergency responses to clean up oil spills and similar situations that may arise from equipment failures. While many collectors provide on-demand repairs, last-minute retrieval is less common in the industry, so it is worth considering.
A reliance on digital tools and tailored solutions makes GreasePros Recycling one of the easiest partners to deal with. However, it is not available outside of Florida and does not cover as many services as some competitors. The convenience and transparent pricing may make up for that to some clients.
10. Kostelac Grease Service
Another long-standing pillar in the oil collection industry is Kostelac Grease Service, which has operated for over 90 years. Like DAR PRO, it is one of the few firms that will take animal byproducts alongside any used cooking grease, which is particularly helpful to butchers or restaurants making many meat-based dishes.
Kostelac renders what it collects into animal feed and biofuels to support a circular economy. It also cleans grease traps and kitchen hoods to ensure your equipment remains in good condition for as long as possible.
While many collectors require contracts, Kostelac chooses not to, which gives you the freedom to switch services in the future should you want to. Unfortunately, it only services the greater St. Louis area, so it is not an option for much of the U.S.
Top-Rated Grease Collection Providers Compared
| Areas Served | Industry Experience | Additional Services | |
| Baker Commodities | Arizona, California, Hawaii, Massachusets, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington | 75+ years | Drain cleaning, power washing, water recovery, preventive maintenance, hardware sales, cold storage |
| Grand Natural | All states except Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming | 15+ years | Drain cleaning, power washing, maintenance, hardware sales, kitchen hood cleaning, pest control, fire inspection |
| DAR PRO Solutions | All contiguous states | 140+ years | Drain cleaning, maintenance, meat by-product collection, kitchen cleaning consulting |
| Smart Alternative Fuels | Northern California, Oregon, Western Nevada, Washington | 10+ years | Drain cleaning, preventive maintenance, regulatory consulting |
| Mahoney Environmental | All 50 states | 70+ years | Drain cleaning, power washing, hardware sales, preventive and emergency maintenance, oil delivery |
| Green Nature Recycling | Eastern Pennsylvania, New York City, New Jersey, Western Connecticut | 5+ | Drain cleaning, power washing, hardware sales, bulk oil purchases |
| Lifecycle Renewables | Connecticut, Delaware, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont | 15+ | Drain cleaning, preventive and emergency maintenance |
| D&W Alternative Energy | Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania | 15+ years | Drain cleaning, power washing, preventive and emergency maintenance, automated grease management, regulatory consulting |
| GreasePros Recycling | Florida | 20+ years | Emergency oil retrieval, kitchen hood cleaning |
| Kostelac Grease Service | Greater St. Louis area | 90+ years | Drain cleaning, power washing, meat by-product collection, kitchen hood cleaning |
What to Look for in a Grease Collection Service
Compliance with any applicable regulations is the most critical aspect of a reliable grease collection provider. The Environmental Protection Agency requires oil-handling services to meet certain standards, and some states may impose stricter codes. Make sure your partner meets these regulations before teaming up with them. Some offer regulatory advisory services, which aren’t necessary but are nice to have.
Transparency around eco-consciousness practices is another positive sign. Used grease mismanagement can have serious ecological consequences, but green oil reuse pipelines are better for the environment. The best grease collectors will adhere to strict environmental standards and are upfront about how they maintain sustainability.
An enterprise’s years of experience are also worth considering. While a newer business is not necessarily a red flag, partners with a more established presence will likely be better equipped to meet your unique needs. Similarly, those offering a wider range of additional services can often provide more value to your establishment.
How to Choose a Grease Collection Provider
All 10 top-rated grease collection services on this list meet the above criteria for a trustworthy partner. However, which one is the ultimate best depends on your area and needs.
Start your decision-making process by eliminating those outside of your area. Neither national nor hyper-local organizations are better than the other as long as you fall within their covered regions. Remember to contact the provider directly to ensure you can use their services, too.
Next, compare each option’s prices and available offerings. Lower costs are generally preferable, but higher expenses are justifiable if you can get more services or a higher standard of quality from the collector. At the same time, some may provide a large list of products or services you do not need, so only consider what applies to your establishment.
Find the Best Grease Collection Provider Near You
Identifying the best grease collection service near you starts with understanding what makes a provider better than the rest. Once you know what to look for, turn to this list as the foundation of your search. You should be able to find a partner that works for you, regardless of where you are or what you need.