Three major Australian fast food chains fined for dumping oil down drains

Three of Australia’s major fast food chains have been slapped with fines after their workers were caught illegally dumping waste oil down stormwater drains.

KFC, Hungry Jack’s and McDonald’s franchises in Melbourne’s north were penalised between $3800 to more than $7500 following a spate of pollution reports, the Environment Protection Agency Victoria said on Monday.

A worker at KFC in Moonee Ponds was caught red-handed after being photographed emptying a container of cooking oil and cleaning chemicals down stormwater drains.

The franchise was fined $5769 for the discharging of waste cleaning chemicals and an additional $1920 for littering offences.

Hungry Jack’s in Preston was fined $3846 after the EPA found workers did not properly manage waste liquids and released cooking oil down storm water drains instead of putting it in collection tanks for proper disposal.

The regulator also fined the McDonald’s Kingsbury franchise $3846 in March after staff were found disposing of waste oil down stormwater drains.

Everyone has a duty to protect the environment and the EPA has written to the fast food outlets to remind them to enforce rules.

“Oil and cooking wastes do not belong in our drain networks,” EPA manager Steve Lansdell said.

“Major fast food franchises should have controls in place and their staff should be trained to understand how to manage their waste.”

The agency also raised concerns about wrappers and drink containers not being properly disposed of.

“(The chains) have a responsibility to manage the environmental issues created by the sale of their product and that includes its packaging.”

KFC, McDonald’s and Hungry Jacks have been contacted for comment.