In Hong Kong, a grease trap is one of the basic wastewater requirements for a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) food business licence: the kitchen must have a compliant, properly working grease trap that is kept clean over time to meet the licence conditions. In other words, a grease trap isn't there just for show — it is tied directly to your licence, and one oversight can stall your application or renewal.
How Does a Grease Trap Relate to a Restaurant Licence?
Food business licences in Hong Kong are issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). When granting a licence, the FEHD looks not only at kitchen layout, ventilation and drainage, but also requires the food premises' wastewater facilities to be compliant. Where a kitchen discharges grease-laden wastewater, a grease trap must be installed to catch the grease before the water flows into the public sewer. So the grease trap is part of the licence conditions: not having one, having one that isn't up to standard, or leaving it uncleaned until it overflows can all cause problems at application or renewal.
On top of that, the waste oil pumped out of a grease trap is a regulated liquid waste. Its collection, transport and disposal are regulated by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and must be handled by a licensed company.
What Do FEHD and EPD Inspections Check on a Grease Trap?
Inspections generally look at a few things (subject to the officer's judgement on the day):
- Whether the kitchen has a grease trap installed as required, and whether its capacity is proportionate to the kitchen's output.
- Whether the grease trap is cleaned regularly, and whether the grease layer on the surface is thick enough to be near overflow or backflow.
- Whether kitchen wastewater is being discharged straight into the public drain without passing through the grease trap.
- Whether the waste oil is handed to a licensed collection company, and whether there are collection records or receipts.
Keeping records of your cleaning and waste-oil disposal is the most practical first-hand proof when dealing with an inspection.
What Happens if the Grease Trap Isn't Compliant?
- At a new application or renewal, you may be told to improve the wastewater facilities before a licence is granted, delaying your opening.
- An overflowing grease trap slows the kitchen drainage, causes backflow and odours, and directly affects your business and hygiene.
- Discharge that doesn't meet requirements, or using an unlicensed company to handle waste oil, can leave the food premises itself liable.
Most problems come from "leaving it until it's full" — rather than waiting for something to go wrong, clean on a schedule set by your output, where the cost is manageable and you won't be scrambling for someone last minute.
What Should You Do Day to Day to Pass Inspections?
- Set a cleaning cycle based on kitchen output — shops with lots of deep-fried or roast items should clean more often.
- Choose a company with a Drainage Services Department registration and the relevant EPD licence, and keep the receipts on file.
- Open the trap cover periodically to check the grease layer yourself — don't wait until drainage slows before reacting.
- Keep records of each cleaning and waste-oil disposal, so you can produce them on the spot during an inspection.
FAQ
Q: Does every food premises have to install a grease trap? Any food premises whose kitchen discharges grease-laden wastewater (cha chaan tengs, Chinese restaurants, fast food, roast meat shops, etc.) generally needs one. The actual requirement follows the FEHD's licence conditions — confirm with the relevant department or a professional company before applying.
Q: Can I clean the grease trap myself? Skimming off the surface grease yourself can give temporary relief, but the waste oil pumped out is a regulated waste that must be legally collected and disposed of by a licensed company, with records kept, so you don't lose marks at an inspection.
Q: How often is often enough to meet the requirement? There's no single fixed figure — it depends mainly on output; more output and more grease means cleaning more often. For the detailed cleaning cycle, see our separate article "How Often Should a Grease Trap Be Cleaned", or arrange it around your own shop's situation.
Motion Waste Management Limited (Drainage Services Department (DSD) registration number P0038) has served food premises across Hong Kong since 1992, holding a DSD registration and the relevant EPD licence. We provide grease trap cleaning, compliant waste-oil collection and disposal, and regular maintenance contracts, and can supply cleaning records to help you handle FEHD and EPD inspections. To arrange a grease trap cleaning or discuss regular maintenance, describe your shop's situation via WhatsApp or the quotation form first; we assess then quote, with transparent pricing. Full details of the service are on our grease trap cleaning page.