Grease Containers & Grease Traps for Restaurants: Sizes, Costs & Service

Outdoor grease collection container at a restaurant

"Grease container" means two different things in food service — and restaurants usually need both. Get them confused and you'll buy the wrong equipment or fail a health inspection.

1. Outdoor grease collection containers (used cooking oil)

  • What: steel bins (typically 100, 200, 300, or 360 gallons) where kitchens dump used fryer oil. A rendering/grease hauler pumps them out on schedule.
  • Cost: usually furnished by the hauler on a monthly or quarterly service contract — container rental ~$50–$150/month and/or $150–$400 per pump-out.
  • The twist: used cooking oil has positive value as biodiesel feedstock. Many haulers collect it free or pay a small rebate.
  • Key features: locking lids (used-oil theft is rampant), dual emptying (vacuum or mechanical dump), spill-containment lips.

2. Grease traps & interceptors (plumbing devices)

  • Indoor grease traps: 15–100 GPM flow capacity / 30–100 lb grease capacity. Purchase $295–$875 plus installation from ~$995.
  • Exterior in-ground interceptors: 600–60,000 gallons; many municipalities require ≥1,500 gallons for food-service establishments.
  • These separate fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from wastewater before it hits the sewer — required by code in virtually every city, with discharge permits and inspection schedules.

Who needs what

  • Restaurants, fast food, cafeterias, hotels, schools, hospitals, grocery delis — anywhere cooking with fats or oils.
  • Your city will specify interceptor sizing and pumping frequency. Skipping pump-outs leads to sewer backups — and fines.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a grease container and a grease trap?

An outdoor grease container is a steel bin that collects used cooking oil for pickup by a rendering hauler. A grease trap or interceptor is a plumbing device that separates fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from wastewater before it enters the sewer — they are different products solving different problems.

Can used cooking oil earn money?

Yes — used cooking oil is a biodiesel feedstock with positive value. Many haulers collect it free or pay a small rebate, which is why locking lids matter: used oil theft is a real problem.

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