OPR is the go to solution for processing grease trap waste, the foul contents of restaurant grease traps. The processing of grease trap waste has surprising benefits.
OPR operates a plant in Columbus OH that accepts grease trap waste from grease trap cleaning companies. With two intake pipelines there is little waiting to dispose of the grease trap waste on your truck.
Grease trap waste is often thought to be a low-value, difficult-to-manage byproduct of food service operations. However, the contents of grease traps represent a complex waste stream that can be responsibly processed, partially recycled, and in some cases transformed into valuable energy products. The way grease trap contents are handled after collection determines whether they become an environmental liability or a green asset.
This article focuses on how grease trap contents are processed, what usable products can be recovered, how non-recyclable materials are handled, and the environmental and regulatory framework governing this work in Ohio.
Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is a physical-chemical separation process used by Ohio Processing Recycling (OPR) to remove fats, oils, grease (FOG), suspended solids, and organic matter from wastewater and sludge. It’s especially effective for restaurant wastewater, grease trap contents, and interceptor sludge, where conventional settling just doesn’t cut it. A more detailed discussion of our DAF processing is available here. (link)
Instead of letting solids sink, DAF does the opposite: it floats contaminants to the surface, where they can be skimmed off as a concentrated sludge.
The benefits of using Dissolved Air Flotation(DAF) are:
DAF systems routinely achieve:
This protects downstream pipes, digesters, and treatment systems from fouling and overload.
Grease trap waste is notoriously inconsistent:
DAF systems are highly customizable through chemical dosing, making them ideal for mixed restaurant loads.
Compared to raw grease trap waste:
This is a big operational and economic benefit.
For facilities discharging to POTWs (publicly owned treatment works):