Mahoney Environmental

Mahoney improves your bottom line and the environment

For over 60 years, Mahoney Environmental® has helped foodservice companies turn used cooking oil and other waste products into useful products. We control the entire recycling process—from equipment set-up, to collection, to processing, to finished product so we can capture more value from used oils and pass that added value on to you. Mahoney creates value for restaurant operators and the environment.

Dedication to the Environment

Mahoney Environmental® is a licensed EPA recycler that has been in business since 1953. At our facilities we are able to recycle nearly 100% of the materials we process. Mahoney’s goal is to be the Premier Back of the House Service Provider to foodservice operators nationwide — from national and regional chains to independent restaurants throughout the United States.

Mahoney Environmental is dedicated to the environment by recycling used fryer oil, grease trap material and other waste products into raw materials that can be used to manufacture new everyday products such as soap, feed additives or alternative fuels.In order to assure you that the material collected from your establishment not only meets, but exceeds the standards set by the Department of Agriculture and the EPA, Mahoney will provide you with a Certificate of Compliance, demonstrating compliance with state and local codes, to let others know you care about the environment.

Today Yellow Grease is Golden
A perspective from CEO John Mahoney, first appeared in NRA Daily News 2012.

When my dad started Mahoney Environmental nearly sixty years ago, recycling used cooking oil was in its infancy. Today recycling provides restaurants with a valuable revenue stream while at the same time making possible ecologically friendly advances in industries as diverse as bio-diesel fuels, animal feed and organic fertilizer.

Not too many years ago, restaurant owners had to pay to have used grease carted away. Today, it’s a sign of the increasing value of oil that it is frequently targeted by thieves! Recycling used cooking oil isn’t just the politically correct thing to do – it’s sound business practice that provides a significant return to foodservice operators.

Certainly things have changed enormously in my business. We were local when we started out, just focused on the Chicago metro area. Today we’re national in scope and a leader in the industry. The keys to our growth have been a willingness to constantly innovate, a deep understanding and focus on the needs of foodservice operations, and recognition of emerging uses for recycled oil.

When Mahoney started disposing used cooking oil, it was essentially something just to haul away, and 55-gallon barrels were the transport norm. Today we have high security collection systems and use specialized trucks. Back then restaurant operators would empty fryers manually, often losing as much oil to spillage as they saved for collection. Today our Direct Connection® system drains used oil to a holding tank directly from the fryers. At one time people would eyeball how much grease they had collected. Now our newest tanks are equipped with sensors that alert us to exactly how much oil is ready for transport.

The story of our industry is one of changing perspective. Years ago, used cooking oil was viewed as a nasty waste product that people just wanted to see disappear. Later on, people recognized its value as a component of animal feed. Now it’s recognized as a resource with high-tech applications. I’m sure no one would be more surprised than my dad if he knew that today cooking oil from restaurants is being used as a totally renewable jet fuel.

For Mahoney Environmental, this journey has combined constant change, especially in the technical advancements of collection, transport and recycling, with an unchanging commitment to meeting our customers’ needs. That has often meant designing and customizing equipment to meet specific requirements – you can’t have the world’s best oil collection system if it won’t fit into a crowded kitchen!

It has also meant working closely with restaurant owners and managers to ensure that they get the most out of this ever more valuable asset. We’re in a business based on renewable resources. What seemed improbable, if not impossible, sixty years ago – that used cooking oil would have dozens of applications and be essential to even high tech industries – is today’s reality. If we continue to innovate and look for new opportunities, it will still provide a golden opportunity in years to come.

Heritage of Innovation

The Mahoney Environmental team is the most experienced in the business. We are constantly developing innovative new equipment and expanding our services. From oil barrels in the earliest days to the first bulk storage containers for used oil to Direct Connection equipment to complete closed loop cooking oil systems Mahoney has led the industry in innovation. And we continue to create the finest, easiest to use, most reliable oil waste management and recycling equipment in the foodservice industry.