Industrial Solutions
A Conversation with Keegan Gardner
Q4. What are the most common mistakes you see kitchens make with FOG?
Q5. How do you see regulations and sustainability evolving in the next few years? Keegan: Cities are taking FOG more seriously every year. Part of that is protecting pipes and plants, and part of it is realizing there’s value in these waste streams. We’re also seeing more focus on end-to-end documentation. For instance, where did it go, who handled it, and when. We are finding that more restaurants and third- party coordinators are wanting to ensure disposal is handled properly and that companies like ours will stand by them if there’s a problem.
Keegan: There are a few patterns we see, unfortunately:
1. Treating the trap like a storage tank. Letting traps go too long between services is the fastest way to back-ups and fines. Local guidelines and BMPs usually recommend service when a trap is 25% full, but many kitchens don’t track that until something smells off—or overflows. 2. No clear plan for used cooking oil. Used fryer oil that gets dumped down drains or into storm inlets is a huge problem. It should be collected in dedicated containers, kept separate from grease trap waste, and picked up by properly permitted haulers so everything stays in compliance and is easier to recycle. 3. No one “owns” FOG in the operation. I get that it’s not the most glamorous role in the kitchen, but it’s certainly important. The best-run kitchens have a single person responsible for grease traps, liquid waste manifests, and used cooking oil pickups. And we love working with those guys.
Q6. How do you see AI and technology impacting your industry?
Keegan: We’re trying not to turn EarthTek into a tech company, but we are trying to run a tighter shop. Our home office is switching over to a new ERP system led by one of our own, Sean Henggeler . He’s been digging into how we can automate some of the paperwork, routing, and reporting so drivers (and me) can be more efficient.
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