Citywide Collection System for Used Cooking Fats and Oil Now Available in Graz

• Graz turns yellow: Holding Graz and Münzer have installed 177 new yellow collection containers for used cooking oil across all districts of Graz.
• Dispose easily, avoid costs: Fill used cooking oil into a tightly sealed plastic bottle and drop it into the container – helping prevent blockages in the sewer system and reducing follow-on costs.
• From kitchen waste to climate action: Münzer processes the collected used cooking oil into biodiesel – 1 kg of used cooking oil becomes 1 kg of biodiesel, saving around 3 kg of CO2.

If you haven’t noticed yet: Over the past few weeks, Holding Graz Waste Management has installed standardized yellow collection containers for used cooking fats and oils at public collection points across all districts of Graz. With a total of 177 containers, each with a capacity of 240 liters, residents now have access to a citywide, convenient, and environmentally friendly disposal system. The yellow containers replace the previous white containers, which had been in use since the start of the project in 2021 in the district of Andritz and—due to the project’s success—since 2023 in four additional districts (Eggenberg, Gösting, Mariatrost, and Ries). All locations of the yellow used cooking fats and oils containers are also available in the Graz Abfall App.

Deputy Mayor Judith Schwentner comments: “With the new yellow collection containers, we are making disposal easier for the people of Graz. The shorter the distance and the clearer the system, the more likely it is to be used—and in the end, everyone benefits.”

Improper Disposal Leads to Costs

What ends up in the sewer system illegally often returns in the form of unnecessary costs. Used cooking fats and oils disposed of via sinks or toilets cause buildup and blockages in the sewer network—often requiring complex and expensive cleaning operations. Holding Graz Board Member Gert Heigl adds: “The new collection containers provide a simple and sustainable alternative, while also contributing to waste prevention and resource conservation.”

How to Dispose Properly

After cooling, pour used cooking oil into small, tightly sealed plastic bottles (the container opening is 19 cm in diameter).

Drop the bottle into the yellow collection container – done.

Not suitable: “Fetty” buckets or very large containers. These can still be disposed of at the Ressourcenpark Graz, via the Giftmüllexpress, or at the hazardous waste collection point at Maggstraße.

From Waste to a Valuable Raw Material

Alice Loidl, Division Manager at Holding Graz Waste Management, explains: “Collected used cooking oil is not waste – it is a valuable raw material that is processed into high-quality, sustainable biodiesel in specialized facilities.” Every liter collected therefore directly contributes to climate protection. According to project partner Münzer—an Austrian specialist in used cooking oil collection and biodiesel production—1 kilogram of used cooking oil becomes 1 kilogram of biodiesel, saving around 3 kilograms of CO2.

Managing Director Ewald-Marco Münzer emphasizes: “With the new yellow collection containers, the circular economy becomes visible in the everyday life of Graz’s residents. Every bottle of used cooking oil collected is a small but measurable contribution to climate protection. We turn what appears to be kitchen waste into an energy carrier that can be used again directly in the region. Together with the City of Graz and Holding Graz, we are showing just how easy it is to take responsibility—just a few drops can make a big difference.”