Used Cooking Oil Collection
Restaurants beg you to take their waste — then pay you for it
Bottom line
Accessible entry point; validate local supply before buying.
Used cooking oil (UCO) collection businesses pick up spent fryer oil from restaurants, food manufacturers, and cafeterias, then sell it to biodiesel refineries or rendering plants. The kicker: restaurants either pay you to haul their grease, or you pay them a small amount per gallon and resell at a significant markup. At scale, a single truck running 25–30 restaurant stops can generate $300K+ annually. It's one of the few waste businesses where the 'waste' has commodity value that fluctuates with fuel prices.
Avg Revenue
$350K
Profit Margin
35%
Acquisition Multiple
2x - 3x
Startup Cost
$30K - $80K
How It Works
Install grease storage containers (provided free) at restaurant back-of-house locations. Collect on a scheduled route (weekly or bi-weekly). Transport to a biodiesel refinery or rendering facility that pays $0.20–$0.50/lb for clean UCO (price fluctuates with diesel commodity markets). Revenue model: either charge restaurants a pickup fee ($50–$150/stop) or pay them $0.10–$0.20/lb and resell at market price. The best operators do both — restaurants in high-grease-theft areas pay to be serviced; premium clients get a small rebate.
Revenue Range
BizBite underwriting snapshot
Watch / verify
Used Cooking Oil Collection has enough high-level data for a first look, but BizBite has not assigned a category-specific operating model yet. Treat the score as preliminary.
Category-level fit before lender-specific diligence.
Weak source data caps the final score.
Why it may work
- +Attractive 35% estimated margin profile
- +SBA dataset shows 7 recent comparable loans
Be careful
- !Source link status has not been verified yet
- !No last-checked date yet
- !No category operating model yet
- !No category model yet
Real Acquisitions in This Category
SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 562998 · All Other Miscellaneous Waste Management Services
Deal Size Distribution
Deal Flow Over Time
Financing Profile
Recent Comparable Deals
| Closed | State | Loan | Implied deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | MN | $312K | $367K |
| Sep 2025 | AZ | $333K | $392K |
| Mar 2025 | FL | $619K | $728K |
| Oct 2024 | WI | $166K | $195K |
| Sep 2024 | IA | $4.5M | $5.3M |
| Jul 2024 | MI | $2.8M | $3.3M |
| May 2024 | CA | $215K | $253K |
| Dec 2023 | WY | $150K | $177K |
| Sep 2023 | CA | $1.8M | $2.1M |
| Sep 2023 | NY | $629K | $740K |
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.
Pros
- +Recurring route revenue — restaurants need pickups every 1–2 weeks indefinitely
- +Low customer acquisition cost — cold walk-ins to restaurants close fast
- +Commodity upside: UCO prices spike with fuel markets
- +Minimal overhead once route is established
Cons
- -Commodity price risk — UCO prices drop during low-fuel-price environments
- -Grease theft is rampant — competitors will steal your restaurant accounts
- -Permits required in most municipalities for waste handling and transport
Best For
Route business operators; entrepreneurs comfortable with commodity price exposure
Operating Costs
Key costs: vacuum truck or pump truck ($40K–$80K), fuel ($1,500–$3,000/mo for a full route), storage containers (leased or purchased), disposal/refinery fees or rebates, and driver labor. Revenue fluctuates with UCO spot prices — hedge by locking in forward contracts with buyers where possible.
SBA Financing Estimator
Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service
Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.
Where to Buy
Search grease and waste collection routes listed for sale
Broker-listed route businesses including grease collection operators
Acquisition Score
Scores margin (30), entry multiple (25), SBA market depth (20), category risk (15), and deal momentum (10). Higher = better acquisition candidate.
Quick Facts
- Category
- route
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Buy price
- $700K–$1.1M
Buyer's Toolkit
Essential tools to get started
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Largest business-for-sale marketplace in the US
SBA loans and business acquisition financing — get funded fast
ROBS financing — use retirement funds to buy a business tax-free
Bookkeeping for small business owners — hands-off financials
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