Most restaurants, cha chaan tengs and Chinese restaurant kitchens in Hong Kong have a grease trap. Its job is to catch grease and food waste before the wastewater flows into the public drains. A grease trap is not a "install it and forget it" fixture. Left uncleaned over time, grease builds up and hardens, narrowing the drains, and eventually causes drain backflow, kitchen odours, and even breaches of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) wastewater rules for food premises.
How is the general cleaning frequency worked out?
Cleaning frequency depends mainly on the kitchen's output volume:
- Small cha chaan tengs and snack shops: cleaning every 1 to 2 months is recommended.
- Medium and large Chinese restaurants and chain catering group kitchens: grease builds up faster, so cleaning every 2 to 4 weeks is recommended, or even signing a regular maintenance contract.
- Food premises with a high proportion of deep-fried or roast meat items should increase their cleaning frequency accordingly.
How do you know the grease trap is full?
Common signs include: the kitchen drain draining more slowly, a faint greasy odour, and a noticeably thicker layer of grease on the surface of the grease trap. Once any of the above appears, it means you have already gone beyond the recommended cleaning cycle, and you should arrange professional handling as soon as possible to avoid affecting your business.
Why can't you just clean it yourself?
The waste oil pumped out of a grease trap is a regulated liquid waste. A handling company must hold a Drainage Services Department (DSD) registration number and the relevant Environmental Protection Department licence before it can legally collect, transport and properly dispose of it. If you pick an unlicensed company to handle it, the food premises itself may be held liable should the matter be investigated.
Motion Waste Management Limited has served food premises across Hong Kong since 1992, holding a Drainage Services Department (DSD) registration number (P0038) and the relevant Environmental Protection Department licence. We can tailor a cleaning cycle to your shop's output volume, and we also offer annual maintenance contracts — sorted in one go, so you don't have to scramble to find someone at the last minute every time.