So that I’m clear, I’m ***not*** thinking about pouring my used motor oil all over the yard. But I ***did*** think about pouring out a small jar of unused olive oil in the dirt. I’m 85 to 90 percent sure I’ve heard that’s a no-no, but I’m wondering why. What exactly happens when oil hits dirt? Shouldn’t the soil bacteria chew it up just like they chew up everything else organic? And would the same thing happen to crude oil?
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Crude oil comes from the ground and historically some of it would normally flow out onto the ground or into waterways. It doesn’t happen as much nowadays as we have captured most of the easy to access oil reserves. However in Alberta and Saskatchewan there are massive areas known as oil sands where the surface ground is saturated with oil. It is a natural phenomenon. However dumping in your yard is probably a bit stinky and not advised.
The concern for disposing oils is that oil floats on water and if it makes its way into a pond or marshland it can form a layer that blocks oxygen transfer and coats birds etc. Saturated oils/fats can also solidify and clog pipes but olive oil is unlikely to do that. Otherwise it will just be broken down by microorganisms.
Odds are a small jar will have no impact but you should still ideally bring it to a dump for disposal.
Pouring cooking oil into your yard will still allow it to inevitably end up in the sewer system, causing costly clogs. Additionally, depending on what the oil was used for it may attract undesirable pests, especially if used on/with meats.
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>I’m 85 to 90 percent sure I’ve heard that’s a no-no.
It’s 100% fine. You’ll feed the ants. You’d have to pour out gallons of the stuff to cause any kind of ecological or sewage issue.
Oils will be broken down by bacteria in the environment and used as a food source.
The big issue is the rate at which it happens. A jar is not a significant amount that will be eaten in short order by the bacteria in your yard. A gallon will take a long time and probably leave a large area uninhabitable by life because it displaces water and stops the diffusion of oxygen, ultimately slowing down the break down process making it last longer in the environment.
A metric ton will sit on top of a lake and block oxygen, kill fish, and block sewers on the way there. It will take forever to break down because it will coat the top of the lake leading to an oxygen deprived environment
If the amount isn’t high, then nothing much would happen. You can safely throw away food scraps to the garden compost, even if some of it was fried or seasoned with butter. Ants, bugs and bacteria will take care of it (same with bits of cheese or eggs or any other food containing fat). Large amounts can contaminate ground water, as it won’t biodegrade quickly.
Oil iis basically fatty acids of one type or the other. A lot of microorganisms consume them.
I feed used veg oils to my cattle and pigs in small amounts each day. It is a good weight gain supplement. Prior to that, I put oils in my compost. In small doses it gives a boost to the bacteria that break down your pile to make good soil.
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