The checklist at a glance
- Registered with the Environment Agency, and you've checked the number.
- A waste transfer note for your collections, kept for two years.
- Paid per litre or per kilo, and you know which.
- You know when and how you're paid.
- Free barrels with lids, in sizes that suit you.
- A collection schedule that fits your kitchen.
- A clear notice period, with no surprises.
- They take chicken fat and dripping too, if you have them.
- They cover your area.
1. Are they registered?
Any business that transports waste, buys or sells it, or arranges for someone else to, must register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer. In England, that's with the Environment Agency.
It takes a minute to check. Ask for their registration number, then search the Environment Agency's public register by business name, number or postcode. Make sure the name on the register matches the business you're dealing with.
If they can't give you a number, or it isn't on the register, don't hand over your oil. Your waste has to go to someone who is allowed to take it.
2. Will you get the right paperwork?
Your duty of care means you need a waste transfer note when your oil is collected. It should describe the waste, including its waste code, and you must keep it for at least two years.
The rules allow one note, called a season ticket, to cover regular collections of the same waste by the same carrier for up to a year. A note after every collection is easier, because you have a clear record each time.
This matters. Failing to meet your duty of care is an offence, and there's no upper limit on the fine a court can give.
3. How and when are you paid?
Rates for used cooking oil follow the fuel market, so ask how the rate is set and when it might change.
- Is the rate per litre or per kilo? A litre of cooking oil weighs a bit less than a kilo, so the same oil gives a bigger number in litres.
- When are you paid: on the day, or weeks later?
- How are you paid: cash, bank transfer or a credit note?
- How is your oil measured and recorded?
- Is anything taken off for water or food bits?
A higher rate isn't always a better deal if you wait weeks for it, or can't check how it was worked out.
4. What barrels do you get?
Ask what you'll store your oil in. Barrels should be clean, have lids that close, and be big enough for the oil you use between collections.
Check whether barrels are free, and whether the collector will take oil in the drums it came in.
5. How often will they collect?
Your collections should match how much oil you use. Too few and your barrels overflow. Too many and you're wasting everyone's time.
Ask how the schedule is set, and what happens if your barrels fill up early. If your business is seasonal, ask if you can pause collections while you're closed.
6. What does the agreement say?
Read the agreement before you sign. Look for:
- the notice period, and how to give notice
- any minimum term
- any fees for barrels, collections or leaving
If you're switching from another collector, check your current agreement for a notice period first.
7. Do they collect everything you have?
If you cook with solid fats, or produce chicken fat or dripping, check the collector takes those too. One collector for everything is simpler.
And check they cover your area, so you're not waiting for a route that rarely comes your way.
Red flags
- No registration number, or a number you can't find on the register.
- No waste transfer note, or a note with missing details.
- Pressure to sign a long agreement on the spot.
- No clear answer on how your oil is measured or when you're paid.
How Circoil measures up
We're registered with the Environment Agency as an Upper Tier Waste Carrier, Broker & Dealer, CBDU622700. We pay per litre, in cash, on every collection. Your waste transfer note is emailed after every visit. We give you free barrels from 60 to 120 litres, or collect your oil in the drums it came in. We collect chicken fat and dripping too, across 8 counties in East Anglia, Yorkshire and the East Midlands.