How disposing of olive oil in the wrong way in Spain can lead to a huge fine

Olive oil is a way of life in Spain but a surprising amount of it ends up down the sink. This is usually done after cooking, when instead of being safely or properly deposited it goes down the sink before doing the washing up.

Spain generates around 350 million litres of used cooking oil per year, which works out to roughly 10 litres per person. While the hotel and catering industry recycles almost three quarters of this waste, households recycle barely 5 percent of their oil.

READ ALSO: 'It's a crime' - Solar park boom threatens Spain's olive tree growers

What few in Spain realise is that disposing of oil down the sink can not only block up your pipes, it can land you in some serious trouble and even lead to fines of up to €100,000 in more serious cases.

This is because pouring oil down the drain not only damages the environment, but is regulated by Spanish law as a serious offence in Law 7/2022, which deals with waste and contaminated soils as part of the ‘circular economy’.

These rules, which were applied to reinforce commitments to recycling and sustainability, legally consider the dumping of waste oil as improper waste management. It is not considered a hazardous waste, but it is highly polluting.

The minimum fines for pouring waste oil down the sink start at €2,001, but can go up to €100,000 in serious cases. The price varies according to the amount poured away, whether there is a repeat offence or if the environmental damage is significant.

Although many in Spain are unaware of it (and perhaps even do it) it can be reported if detected, especially in neighbourhood communities or on commercial premises.

On top of the legal risk, pouring oil down the sink also presents an infrastructural problem that affects everyone. Oil blocks pipes, solidifies and forms ‘grease balls ’ that clog urban sewage networks. According to data cited by Spanish news website El Confidencial, the cost of clearing these blockages exceeds €90 million each year around Europe.

Wastewater treatment plants, for their part, also have to redouble their efforts (and budgets) to treat this waste when it reaches the sewage system.

A single litre of used oil can pollute up to 1,000 litres of water, according to the Aquae Foundation. When this waste reaches rivers or the sea, it prevents water oxygenation and puts aquatic life at risk.

So what do I do with my old olive oil?

Let it cool and store it in a tightly closed bottle or container and avoid mixing it with water or food leftovers.

When enough oil has accumulated, the leftovers should be taken to a pickup point such as the orange containers that many local councils have set up for public collection.