A Reddit user said they recently witnessed a Chipotle employee pour hot oil onto a grassy area behind a local franchise location, leading to a small smoky fire — and likely environmental consequences.
In the post, the user said they work at a shopping plaza with a Chipotle, venting about the location's food disposal practices. The poster alleged that they recently witnessed a Chipotle employee take out a "huge" container of hot used cooking oil and dump it near the base of a tree in a grassy area behind the location.
"The grass caught fire and left a huge scorch mark," the Reddit user wrote. "It looks like they do this frequently. We have so many deer and just wildlife in the area. This can't be safe."
The user called the "lack of concern" over oil removal "disturbing," posting pictures of a large area of grass scorched and saturated with a slick of oil. In the post, they questioned what actions they could take, asking if calling corporate would be appropriate.
Many commenters advised the original poster to call the Environmental Protection Agency and state health officials.
"[It] looks like there's no oil disposal drum there," one commenter wrote. "Definitely call corporate — they should have been notified by the store that they didn't have a disposal option."
"Yes, this is illegal and definitely harmful to our ecosystem," another commenter added.
In a follow-up post, the Reddit poster said they contacted the local fire marshal and the EPA to report the incident.
When contacted about the incident, Chipotle's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laurie Schalow said: "As a company rooted in sustainability, we take this matter very seriously. We have retrained our team members at this restaurant location to ensure they are following the proper procedure of disposing used cooking oil into a caddy so it can be recycled and converted into biofuel."
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The EPA website says vegetable oils and animal fats used for cooking can harm the environment when disposed of improperly. Cooking oil poured outside can coat animals and plants, suffocating them by oxygen depletion and causing other health impacts. Hot oil can destroy vegetation and habitats — like in this case — and can even be the catalyst for a larger brush fire. Oil can linger in the environment for years, making proper disposal essential.
If you are looking for the best way to dispose of cooking oil, see if a local waste management facility recycles cooking oil. Luckily, there is a website that allows you to search to see if there are any such plants near you. Alternatively, it is acceptable to compost small amounts of vegetable oils.
For those without these options, the NYC Environmental Protection Agency advises individuals to place used, cooled cooking oil in a container — like a used carton or take-out container— and label it "Cooking Oil — Not For Recycling." Discard it with your regular garbage. Never pour cooking oil down your drain.
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