If you run a restaurant, food truck, hotel kitchen, or any food service business in South Florida, used cooking oil is just part of the job. Every time you fry, sauté, or cook at scale, it piles up — and most business owners we talk to have no idea what to do with it besides paying someone to haul it away.
But here’s the thing: your used cooking oil is worth something. And with the right local partner, you don’t pay to get rid of it — you get paid for it.
At Above All Wastewater Services, we’ve been helping restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food businesses across Miami-Dade, Broward County, and the Florida Keys do exactly that since 1948. We’re locally owned, fully licensed, and we make the whole process easy — from the tank we drop off to the check we cut you after pickup.
What Is Used Cooking Oil and Why Does It Matter?
Used cooking oil — sometimes called UCO or yellow grease — is the oil left over after commercial frying and cooking. It comes out of deep fryers, woks, commercial ranges, and large-scale food prep equipment. After a long shift, it’s easy to think of it as just another thing to deal with.
But it’s not waste. It’s a resource.
When recycled properly, used cooking oil gets converted into biodiesel fuel, sustainable aviation fuel, and other renewable energy sources that help replace fossil fuels. Recycling UCO can reduce carbon emissions dramatically compared to traditional fuels — and demand for it is only going up. That’s why your oil has real market value, and why we’re able to pay you for it instead of the other way around.
Is It Illegal to Throw Cooking Oil in the Trash in Florida?
This comes up a lot, especially from newer restaurant owners and operators who just moved into a commercial kitchen for the first time. The short answer is: improper disposal of cooking oil in Florida is a real compliance issue — and the consequences can hit your business hard.
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection takes fats, oils, and grease violations seriously. Pouring cooking oil down the drain or dumping it improperly can lead to:
- Significant fines that show up without warning
- Backed-up grease traps and sewer lines
- Health code violations during routine inspections
- Emergency plumbing situations at the worst possible moment
The right move is simple — store it properly and have it collected by a licensed service. That keeps you compliant, keeps your kitchen clean, and with us, it also means you get compensated for it.
💡 Pro Tip: If you’re already on a grease trap cleaning schedule, ask us about handling both on the same visit. One truck, one team, zero extra hassle — and it keeps your compliance paperwork clean too.
How Does Used Cooking Oil Collection Actually Work?
Most business owners expect it to be complicated. It’s not. Here’s what the process looks like when you work with us:
Step 1: We bring you a free storage tank
We set you up with a free, lockable UCO storage container sized specifically for your operation. Whether you’re a small local spot or a large facility running multiple fryers, we match the tank to what you actually need.
Step 2: Smart technology keeps an eye on it
Every tank we place uses HazTrack IoT smart sensor technology to monitor your oil levels around the clock. When your tank is getting close to full, our team gets alerted automatically. You never have to check it, track it, or call us. We already know.
Step 3: We come to you — without disrupting your day
Our team handles everything quickly and professionally. Most businesses with outdoor tanks don’t even need to be on-site when we arrive. We show up, take care of it, and leave things exactly as we found them. No mess, no interruptions, no drama.
Step 4: You get paid
After each collection, qualifying businesses receive a rebate. Your oil goes on to become renewable fuel, and you get something back for it. It really is that straightforward.
Who Do We Pick Up From?
If your business cooks, there’s a good chance we can help. We work with operations of all sizes across South Florida, including:
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens
- Food trucks and mobile kitchens
- Hotels and resorts
- Bars and lounges
- Catering and large-scale food prep operations
- Supermarkets and grocery stores
- Schools, universities, and cafeterias
- Corporate dining facilities
We don’t have a minimum size requirement. Whether you’re a one-location neighborhood restaurant or a multi-unit operation spread across Miami-Dade, we have the equipment and capacity to handle your needs.
Why Local Restaurants Choose Us Over the Big National Companies
There are national UCO collection companies operating in South Florida — DAR PRO, Mahoney Environmental, Restaurant Technologies, and others. We hear from restaurant owners all the time who switched to us after dealing with slow response times, confusing contracts, and feeling like just another account number.
Here’s what’s different about working with us:
We actually know South Florida
Above All Wastewater Services is headquartered in Homestead. We’ve been operating here since 1948. We know the neighborhoods, we know the local regulations, and we’ve built relationships with businesses across Miami-Dade, Broward, and the Keys for generations. When you call us, you’re talking to someone local — not a national call center.
No contracts, no surprises
We don’t lock you in. We earn your business by showing up on time, doing the job right, and treating you like a person. No long-term agreements, no hidden fees, no fine print.
We handle your grease trap too
This is a big one. Most national UCO-only companies can’t also clean your grease trap. We can — and we do it all the time on the same visit. That means one vendor relationship, one service call, and one less thing to manage.
We pick up the phone
Same-day quotes. Fast response. Real people. It sounds simple because it should be.
Ready to Stop Tossing It and Start Getting Paid?
If you’re running a food service business anywhere in Miami-Dade, Broward County, or the Florida Keys, there’s really no reason to keep dealing with used cooking oil the hard way. We’ll collect it, handle everything, keep you compliant, and pay you for it.
Give us a call — we’ll have you set up faster than you’d expect.
📞 (305) 257-1211