“The benefits for businesses can be summed up in one line: Don’t get fined, get paid!” Lee continued.
“Recycled grease, oils and fats are an energy commodity and are very much part of the wider circular economy. A busy restaurant or hotel could generate between 7 and 9 litres of fat oil and grease every single day – and this means that, with the average price at around 40p per litre at the moment, businesses could be earning up to £3.20 per day just for doing the socially and environmentally responsible thing and instructing a waste disposal company to recycle their grease.
“Even if they decide to lease the equipment rather than pay for it outright, they can still offset the rental costs by some margin with this additional revenue. Studies have shown that businesses can expect a return on investment from their GRUs in as little as 16 months.
“Plus, installing grease traps is a great way to meet wider ESG initiatives. It’s not just about ticking a box – it’s about exploring a practical solution to a very real and very common challenges that food service companies and their equipment providers are faced with every day.”
Aside from the financial benefits of recycling these materials, companies are of course under pressure from water providers and their compliance bodies to adhere to Section 111 of the Water Industry Act:1991. This states that it is a criminal offence to release anything into public sewers that could interfere with the free flow of wastewater, including discharging grease into public facilities.
In line with this legislation, water companies can choose to fine or recharge businesses if they can find evidence that they have contributed to waste pollution in this way.
“Goslyn GRUs trap these waste products before they get into the system, negating the problem,” Lee added. “And if there is ever a dispute with the water company regarding how many people have contributed to a blockage and what their fine or recharge should be, simply having evidence of correctly sized GRUs with a service contract onsite will reduce the risk of involvement from said water company.”