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Oil Guyz · Tacoma

Free Used Cooking Oil Pickup in Tacoma & the South Sound

We collect fryer oil from restaurant kitchens across Tacoma, Fife, Puyallup, Federal Way, and the surrounding South Sound. You get a free locked bin, a digital manifest after every pickup, and no contract to sign.

Used cooking oil pickup truck servicing restaurants in Tacoma and Pierce County

Quick Answer

Oil Guyz is a used cooking oil pickup and recycling company serving restaurants and commercial kitchens across Tacoma and Pierce County, Washington. Pickup is free and scheduled, with a free locked bin, no contract, and a digital service record after every pickup. Call (253) 322-7880 to start service.

  • 5.0 on Google

    From real restaurant reviews

  • Fully insured

    Recycled into clean fuel

  • Free locked bin

    Delivered and placed for you

  • Service record every pickup

    Inspection-ready, 2-year records

Free used cooking oil pickup

Free Restaurant Grease Pickup Across Tacoma and the South Sound

Used cooking oil pickup in Tacoma should be the easiest line item you manage, and for most South Sound kitchens it is the flakiest. The hauler stops returning calls, the bin behind the kitchen overflows before the next visit, and when an inspector asks for your grease records you are digging through a drawer of old invoices. We hear the same story from teriyaki shops on South Tacoma Way, seafood spots along Ruston Way, pho counters in Federal Way, and taco trucks near the Puyallup fairgrounds. Oil Guyz exists to make this boring again: free scheduled pickup for restaurants across Tacoma and the South Sound, no contract, no monthly fee, and a record of every gallon that leaves your kitchen.

Here is the whole arrangement. We place a free locked bin sized to your volume, right where you store oil today. The driver pumps it out where it sits. We never swap containers, and if you already use barrels or caddies we pump those in place too. After every pickup you get a digital manifest logging the date, gallons collected, who collected it, and where the oil went. Those are the exact fields Puyallup's sewer code requires kitchens to keep on file for three years, so the paperwork problem solves itself. The service is free because we are paid for the oil: it goes to a licensed renderer and becomes biodiesel feedstock and animal feed ingredients, with nothing sent to landfill.

Grease rules in the South Sound depend on whose sewer you are on. City of Tacoma Environmental Services enforces the FOG Management Policy for Tacoma and, through interlocal agreements, Fife and neighboring areas. Pierce County's Sewer Division inspects kitchens across its service area, including University Place, and samples discharge against a 100 mg/L grease limit. Auburn ties an approved FOG Control Plan to the business license itself, and Gig Harbor will not let a kitchen discharge interceptor effluent without an operational permit. Layer on the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, which inspects food establishments one to four times a year, and the fastest way to end any inspection conversation is a clean stack of pickup manifests.

Get Free Pickup in Tacoma

Free locked bin · No contract · No minimum. First pickup in 3 to 5 business days.

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Why Oil Guyz

The typical hauler vs Oil Guyz

Same pickup. A very different experience for your Tacoma kitchen.

Typical hauler
Oil Guyz
Cost to you
Pickup fees, or your oil for nothing
Free pickup, free container
Contract
Long-term lock-in
No contract, cancel anytime
Missed pickup
Voicemail and excuses
A real person makes it right
Compliance paperwork
You chase the manifest
Emailed after every removal, 2-yr records kept
Who answers
A call center, or no one
A real person who knows your kitchen

Why now

A county or health check can ask for your records any day, and switching costs you nothing. There is no contract to break and no gap in service. Get set up before your bin overflows or an inspector asks.

Get Free Pickup in Tacoma
Everything included

Everything your Tacoma kitchen gets, free

One plan that takes used cooking oil off your plate for good. Most haulers charge for pickup or lock you into a contract. Yours does neither.

Costs you nothing

Free pickup, free bin, free paperwork. We are paid for the oil, not by you.

Reliable, on your schedule

Scheduled pickups on the cadence you set. A real person owns your route.

Inspection-proof

A compliant manifest after every pickup. 2-year records kept.

  • Recurring scheduled pickups and collectionWeekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. You set the cadence.Free
  • A commercial collection containerDelivered and placed where it works for your kitchen.Free
  • Compliant digital manifest after every removalEmailed the moment your container is serviced. Inspection-ready.Free
  • 2 years of disposal records, kept for youProducing history for an inspection takes seconds.Free
  • A real person who answersNo phone-tag, no no-show black hole.Free
  • No contract, month to monthCancel anytime. No penalty, no removal fee.Free

Total cost to you

No contract. Cancel anytime.

Typically $150+ to set up elsewhere, plus monthly fees

$0

It's free because we are paid for the oil, not by you. We recycle it into clean fuel, so pickup and the bin cost you nothing.

Free sizing tool

Right-size your free bin in seconds

Tell us how much oil your kitchen goes through and we will show you the bin and pickup schedule that fits, no overflowing bins, no wasted trips.

Free bin, sized right

What size bin does your kitchen need?

We aim to fill it 75 to 90% in a month, so one monthly pickup keeps it from overflowing.

1. Pick the closest match
2. How much oil? Answer whichever way is easiest
gal / week
3. Where will it sit?
Monthly pickupOILGUYZ90%75%

130-gallon outdoor bin

~83% full each month

A 130-gallon outdoor bin lands around 83% full over a month, so one pickup a month keeps it from ever overflowing.

This is an estimate to get you close. We confirm the right bin when we place it, and if your volume changes we swap you to a better size at no charge.

Local compliance

Tacoma and South Sound FOG Rules for Restaurants

Verified 2026-07-04

FOG enforcement in the South Sound is split across sewer authorities, not one agency. City of Tacoma Environmental Services regulates food service establishments on Tacoma's wastewater system under Tacoma Municipal Code 12.08C.500, including the Fife, Fircrest, and Ruston interlocal areas, while Pierce County, Puyallup, Auburn, Lakehaven, and Gig Harbor each run their own programs. Wherever you cook, the core obligations are the same: keep a properly sized grease interceptor, clean it on the required schedule using qualified vendors, and keep the maintenance and oil collection records your authority demands.

Who regulates grease from your kitchen

City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department

Enforces the FOG Management Policy for all food service establishments on Tacoma's wastewater system, including the Fife, Fircrest, and Ruston interlocal areas

City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department

Pierce County Planning and Public Works, Sewer Division

Runs the grease interceptor and pretreatment program for the county sewer service area; inspects restaurants and samples discharge against a 100 mg/L local limit

Pierce County Planning and Public Works, Sewer Division

City of Puyallup Public Works

City sewer utility; enforces grease interceptor and cooking oil recordkeeping rules under Puyallup Municipal Code ch. 14.06

City of Puyallup Public Works program page

City of Auburn Public Works, Sewer Utility

Runs Auburn's FOG Reduction Program; a city-approved FOG Control Plan is required as part of the business license

City of Auburn Public Works, Sewer Utility program page

Lakehaven Water and Sewer District

Sewer district headquartered in Federal Way; its Pretreatment Section handles FOG and commercial pretreatment for district sewer customers

Lakehaven Water and Sewer District

City of Gig Harbor Wastewater Division

Administers the Grease Ordinance (GHMC ch. 13.30) and issues grease interceptor operational permits for the city-owned treatment system

City of Gig Harbor Wastewater Division

What inspectors expect from Tacoma restaurants

  1. Tacoma's FOG policy covers more than TacomaTacoma Municipal Code 12.08C.500

    If your kitchen discharges wastewater containing FOG into Tacoma's system, the city's FOG Management Policy applies. That includes restaurants inside Tacoma plus the interlocal agreement areas of Fife, Fircrest, Ruston, and portions of Pierce County. Being outside city limits does not put you outside the program. Source: City of Tacoma FOG Management Policy Clarification Sheet (Jan. 2025)

  2. Clean grease interceptors on Tacoma's scheduleTacoma Municipal Code 12.08C.500

    Gravity grease interceptors must be cleaned by a licensed vendor at least twice a year, or sooner once FOG reaches 25 percent of a compartment's capacity. Hydromechanical interceptors get cleaned monthly, and even self-cleaning units need a licensed pumper every three months. Waiting for a backup is not a schedule. Source: City of Tacoma FOG Management Policy Clarification Sheet (Jan. 2025)

  3. Report service within seven days, keep records five yearsTacoma Municipal Code 12.08C.500

    Tacoma requires food service establishments to document every grease device maintenance activity, submit the report electronically within seven days of service, and keep hard copies on file for five years. If your current hauler leaves no paper trail, that gap is yours to explain, not theirs. Source: City of Tacoma FOG Management Policy Clarification Sheet (Jan. 2025)

  4. Pierce County: interceptors required in the sewer service area

    Most commercial food service establishments in Pierce County's sewer service area, restaurants, cafes, and bars included, are required to install a grease interceptor to control the fat, oil, and grease entering the public sewer system. If your building connects to a county sewer, assume this applies to you. Source: Pierce County Grease Interceptor requirements

  5. Puyallup: pump in full every three months, keep three years of recordsPuyallup Municipal Code ch. 14.06, Article III (Ord. 2881 § 1, 2007)

    Puyallup grease interceptors must be pumped in full every three months, or sooner once surface FOG and settled solids reach 25 percent of the unit's liquid depth. All maintenance and compliance records stay on site for at least three years, with a maintenance log posted at each device. Source: City of Puyallup Sewer Use Code excerpt (PMC ch. 14.06)

  6. Puyallup regulates your cooking oil pickup paperwork directlyPuyallup Municipal Code ch. 14.06, Article III (Ord. 2881 § 1, 2007)

    Puyallup is explicit about used cooking oil: collection and disposal records must be kept on site for at least three years, and each log entry must show the collection date, gallons collected, the company and person who performed the collection, and the disposal method. A pickup with no manifest is a compliance hole. Source: City of Puyallup Sewer Use Code excerpt (PMC ch. 14.06)

  7. Auburn: no FOG Control Plan, no business license

    Since 2010, any Auburn establishment that serves or prepares food where grease could reach the sanitary sewer must have a city-approved FOG Control Plan as part of the business license application. The program is built to meet King County Metro discharge requirements, so it is not optional paperwork. Source: City of Auburn Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Program

  8. Gig Harbor: a permit just to discharge interceptor effluentGig Harbor Municipal Code 13.30.112

    Gig Harbor makes it unlawful to discharge grease interceptor effluent to the city's treatment system without a grease interceptor operational permit from the wastewater supervisor. If you are opening or taking over a kitchen in Gig Harbor, the permit belongs at the top of your checklist. Source: Gig Harbor Municipal Code 13.30.112

Your used cooking oil options, honestly

Free documented pickup service

Best option

The route the authorities themselves point to. Pierce County tells restaurants to work with a hauler who knows local grease rules, and Auburn's guidance says to collect fryer grease and contact a grease recycler. A no-cost collection service that leaves a digital service record after every pickup also satisfies the recordkeeping rules in Tacoma and Puyallup without adding a bill.

Get free pickup

Tacoma's household drop-off site (10-gallon cap)

Allowed, but

The City of Tacoma's Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 3510 South Mullen Street accepts cooking oil free, up to 10 gallons. It is aimed at households. A kitchen producing 20 to 100 gallons a month cannot realistically run disposal through it, and drop-offs create no paper trail for sewer authority records.

Paying a grease hauler

Allowed, but

Paid haulers exist, and for interceptor pumping you need one: Tacoma requires a licensed vendor and Auburn requires certified waste haulers for interceptor maintenance. For the fryer oil itself, paying is usually unnecessary. The oil has value, which is why collection services will take it at no charge and document every gallon.

What never to do: the drain or the dumpster

Never

Pouring fryer oil down the drain risks fines under Tacoma's code, and the Environmental Services Director can suspend wastewater service when a violation poses an environmental risk. A grease-caused backup also triggers mandatory reports: kitchen wastewater backups go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and sanitary sewer overflows go to the Washington Department of Ecology.

Which agency covers your city

Tacoma
City of Tacoma Environmental Services enforces the FOG Management Policy for city kitchens under Tacoma Municipal Code 12.08C.500.
Auburn
City of Auburn Public Works runs the FOG Reduction Program; a FOG Control Plan is tied to the business license.
Fife
Fife owns its collection system, but Tacoma Environmental Services is the FOG authority via interlocal agreement (treatment at Tacoma's Portland Avenue plant).
University Place
Pierce County's Sewer Division provides most sewer service and applies county grease interceptor rules and the 100 mg/L limit.
Puyallup
City of Puyallup Public Works enforces its own Sewer Use Ordinance, PMC ch. 14.06 Article III.
Federal Way
Lakehaven Water and Sewer District's Pretreatment Section handles FOG pretreatment for its sewer customers in the Federal Way area.
Gig Harbor
City of Gig Harbor Wastewater Division administers GHMC ch. 13.30 and requires a grease interceptor operational permit.

Primary sources (last verified 2026-07-04)

Rules change. We re-check these pages on a regular cycle, but your permit, your lease, and your inspector always win. When in doubt, call the agency listed for your city, or call us and we will point you to the right office.

Recycling Tacoma's Used Cooking Oil Into Renewable Fuel

In Washington, used cooking oil is handled as a recyclable commodity, and that is precisely how the service works here: scheduled collection, a digital service record for every pickup, and delivery to a licensed renderer that processes the oil into biodiesel feedstock and animal feed ingredients.

The recycling value funds the route, which is why Pierce County kitchens get free pickup, and why the route keeps adding stops as more kitchens come on.

What kitchens say about Oil Guyz

Verbatim Google reviews from the restaurants we serve. On time, genuinely free, and the compliance paperwork is always handled.

5.0on Google
Kengo Kido, Google reviewer

Kengo Kido

Google review

5.0
Joey took care of our needs quickly, efficiently and professionally. I highly reccoemnd his service to anyone!
Brenda Wu, Google reviewer

Brenda Wu

Google review

5.0
Prompt response from Joey. Great service with problem solving. Highly recommended!
Camille Bamford, Google reviewer

Camille Bamford

Google review

5.0
Fast and great to work with!
John Kim, Google reviewer

John Kim

Google review

5.0
Fast efficient service
Olivia Valdivia, Google reviewer

Olivia Valdivia

Google review

5.0
Oil Guyz are A+++!! We had 14 containers of used frying oil from our little league snack bar. They helped us on our last day to meet and pick up our containers. They made it easy, and we will be looking to use them for our next season!! Thanks Joey!!
See full review

Coverage

Used Cooking Oil Pickup Across Tacoma: Cities We Serve

One Tacoma route, 24 cities. The same free used cooking oil pickup, free locked bin, and documented service everywhere on the route.

More Tacoma communities on the route

Auburn:
Kitchens from the Main Street Historic District out to the Auburn Way North and South strips share a scheduled stop, and the Muckleshoot Casino district and Emerald Downs add high-volume fryer lines to the same Pierce-King county run.
Bonney Lake:
The SR-410 commercial strip carries most of the fryer volume here, and stops along Lake Tapps Parkway and the Sumner-Tapps Highway ride the same scheduled loop, with a free locked bin and documented pickups.
Burien:
Olde Burien and Town Square hold the walkable dining core, while the SW 152nd and Ambaum corridors carry the strip-mall kitchens; all of it lands on one scheduled South King County run.
Des Moines:
Marina District seafood houses along Marine View Drive set the tone, with downtown blocks and the Pacific Ridge and Redondo Heights strips folded into the same documented route week after week.
DuPont:
Center Drive's village core and Northwest Landing hold most of the commercial kitchens in this planned community, served on the same scheduled south-sound loop that passes between Lakewood and Lacey.
Federal Way:
The Commons mall cluster and the Pacific Highway South corridor drive steady fryer output, and the South 320th and 348th retail nodes get stops on the same fixed day, bin and paperwork included at no cost.
Fife:
Truck-stop diners and casino kitchens define this stretch: the 20th Street East corridor, Pacific Highway East, and the Emerald Queen district all sit minutes off the port, on a route built around the Tideflats.
Gig Harbor:
Waterfront restaurants along Harborview Drive and the historic downtown blocks near Skansie Brothers Park take their pickups across the Narrows on a scheduled day, with Pioneer Way and Stinson Avenue on the same swing.
Kent:
Kent Station and the Meeker and Smith Street blocks downtown anchor the stops, and event surges at the ShoWare Center are absorbed by adjusting cadence rather than leaving bins to overflow.
Lacey:
Hawks Prairie and the Martin Way corridor hold the chain and fast-casual volume, with Marvin Road and College Street stops on the same Thurston County leg that also serves Olympia and Tumwater.
Lakewood:
Lakewood Towne Center concentrates the retail dining, while Tillicum and the lake neighborhoods add scattered stops; everything rides one scheduled Pierce County day with documented service.
Olympia:
Downtown blocks around the Farmers Market and Capitol Way carry a dense independent dining scene, and the Westside's Harrison and Cooper Point corridors join the same documented Thurston County run.
Parkland:
The Pacific Avenue South corridor and the Garfield Street district by the PLU campus produce steady student-driven fryer volume, collected on the same scheduled day as neighboring Spanaway.
Puyallup:
Fair weeks around the Fairgrounds District spike oil volume sharply, so cadence flexes with the calendar; downtown's Pioneer Park blocks and the South Hill Mall area hold the year-round stops.
Renton:
The Landing and the South 3rd corridor downtown split the dining scene between new retail and old storefronts, and both sit on a scheduled loop with the Highlands and Sunset Boulevard.
SeaTac:
Hotel kitchens along the Airport Hotel Corridor and International Boulevard run banquet fryers at airport rhythm, and overnight service windows keep pickups out of the check-in rush.
Seattle:
From Pike Place Market and Belltown through Capitol Hill and the Chinatown International District, stops are timed to alley access windows and pedestrian hours, with a free locked bin at every account.
Spanaway:
Pacific Avenue South and Mountain Highway East form one long commercial spine here, and the 176th Street strip joins it on a scheduled Pierce County day shared with Parkland.
Steilacoom:
A small waterfront dining scene near the ferry terminal and Lafayette Street gets the same free scheduled service as the big cities on the route, locked bin and documentation included.
Sumner:
Main Street's historic district keeps a compact core of independent kitchens, while the SR-410 and Valley Avenue corridors carry the drive-through volume, all on one scheduled stop day.
Tukwila:
Westfield Southcenter and the surrounding Andover Park and Strander Boulevard blocks form one of South King County's densest food-court and chain clusters, worked on a fixed weekly rhythm.
Tumwater:
The Brewery District and Capitol Boulevard hold the core stops, with Trosper and Israel Road retail pads sharing the same Thurston County leg as Olympia and Lacey.
University Place:
U.P. Town Center carries the dining core, and clubhouse kitchens near Chambers Bay add event-driven volume; both take documented pickups on the same west-Pierce day.

Tacoma local line:

(253) 322-7880

Oil Guyz Service Area in Pierce County

We provide free used cooking oil pickup and recycling to restaurants throughout Pierce County and surrounding areas.

Map of Tacoma, WA showing 58 restaurant locations served by Oil Guyz free used cooking oil pickup
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Restaurant Outside Tacoma?

Oil Guyz is expanding fast. Drop your state and city and we will email you the moment we light up your area.

No used cooking oil pickup in your area yet?

Tell us your city. We’ll text you the day free pickups reach you.

Answers

Used cooking oil pickup in Tacoma, FAQ

Yes. We are paid by the renderer that turns your oil into biodiesel feedstock and animal feed ingredients, so we do not need to charge the kitchen. There is no contract, no monthly fee, and no per-pickup charge, and the locked bin is free too. That is also why a paid fryer-oil hauling bill is worth questioning: the material has value. Kitchens producing roughly 250 gallons or more a month can ask about a rebate when they sign up. For everyone else the deal stays simple: the oil gets collected on schedule, you get a manifest for your records, and nothing hits your P&L.
Most kitchens get their first pickup within a week of signing up. If a bin is already overflowing, call us; we often make it out the same day. A real person answers, 24/7, so a Friday-night grease problem does not have to wait for Monday. From there, pickups run on a schedule matched to your fryer volume, whether you are in Tacoma, Puyallup, Auburn, or out on the Gig Harbor side. If the pace turns out wrong, we adjust it. You can also see your pickup history and manifests in the online portal whenever you need them.
A free locked bin sized to your volume, placed where you store oil today: behind the kitchen, in the alley enclosure, wherever the oil already lives. The driver pumps it out right where it sits, so the bin your staff knows never moves and stays locked between pickups. We never swap containers. Already using barrels or caddies? We pump those in place too, so nothing about your setup has to change. There are no rental fees, no deposits, and no charge if the bin ever needs to be replaced.
It goes to a licensed renderer, where it is processed into biodiesel feedstock and animal feed ingredients. Nothing goes to landfill. Under Washington rules, that is exactly how the state wants this material handled: the Department of Ecology's used oil standards (WAC 173-303-515) expressly exclude vegetable oil, so used cooking oil collected for recycling is not managed as dangerous waste the way petroleum oil is. What matters for your kitchen is the record. Every pickup ends with a digital manifest showing the date, gallons, collector, and destination, the same information Puyallup requires in a cooking oil collection log and any inspector will recognize.
Almost certainly, if you are on a public sewer. Pierce County requires most commercial food service establishments in its sewer service area to install one. Puyallup's code sweeps in restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels, hospitals, grocery stores, school kitchens, and butcher shops. Gig Harbor sizes the requirement by drainage fixture units: zero to four are exempt, five through nine need an approved hydromechanical interceptor, and ten or more require a gravity grease interceptor. Tacoma sets the cleaning schedule for whichever type you have. The one thing an interceptor never handles is the fryer oil itself; that gets collected separately, which is where a pickup service comes in.
It depends on the city, and the retention periods are real. Tacoma wants every maintenance activity documented, reported electronically within seven days of service, and hard copies kept for five years. Puyallup requires interceptor records on site for three years, plus a separate cooking oil collection log showing date, gallons, collector, and disposal method. Auburn requires maintenance logs for every business with a grease retention device. Gig Harbor wants trip tickets and a service log kept on premises for at least three years. A digital manifest after every oil pickup covers the cooking oil side of that stack automatically, which is exactly why we send one every time.
No, and the enforcement here is not theoretical. Tacoma's code authorizes fines for FOG violations, and the Environmental Services Director can suspend a building's wastewater service when a violation poses an environmental risk. Pierce County staff inspect restaurants across the sewer service area, can sample your discharge, and hold it against a 100 mg/L grease limit. If grease causes a backup or an overflow, reporting is mandatory: kitchen wastewater backups go to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, and sanitary sewer overflows go to the Washington Department of Ecology. Free collection exists, so there is no scenario where the drain is worth it.
No. The Washington State Department of Ecology's used oil management standards (WAC 173-303-515) define used oil as refined petroleum or synthetic oil, and the state's guidance lists vegetable oil as expressly not used oil. So fryer oil collected for recycling is not handled as dangerous waste. That does not make it unregulated: your sewer authority still bars it from the drain, and cities like Puyallup still require collection records on site. It mostly means recycling is straightforward. The oil rides to a licensed renderer, becomes biodiesel feedstock or animal feed ingredients, and the manifest documents the chain from your kitchen to the destination.

Get Free Used Cooking Oil Pickup. First Stop in 3 to 5 Business Days.

Picture the bin that never overflows and the compliant digital manifest already in your inbox. Used cooking oil pickup is free because we are paid for the oil, not by you. Every week you wait is another overflowing bin and another gap in your records. Free locked bin, confirmed the same business day, first pickup in 3 to 5 business days, no contract, cancel anytime. New routes are scheduled in the order they come in, so get on the list today.

Or call (253) 322-7880 and talk to a real person today.

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