Many of us will spend this week cooking, baking and preparing for the upcoming holidays. This is a quick reminder of how to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease after cooking.
Many of us will spend this week cooking, baking and preparing for the upcoming holidays. This is a quick reminder of how to properly dispose of fats, oils and grease after cooking. One thing you shouldn’t do is pour fats, oils and grease down the drain. Once the grease is poured down the drain, it then sticks to the sides of sewer pipes, both on your property and in the public sewer system. Over time, the grease will build up and block the pipes. Grease accumulation in the public sewer system can causes blockages in the sewer pipes, which then keeps the pipes from functioning properly. Blocked sewer pipes can cause sewer backups into homes and overflowing sewer manholes, in turn leading to costly cleaning and maintenance, and water pollution. MSD estimates that about 15 percent of blockages in its public sewer system are caused by fats, oils and grease. Here are some tips to keep fats, oils and grease out of the public sewer system:
- Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.
- Scrape food scraps and grease from plates, pots and utensils into the trash.
- Pour cooled fats, oils and grease into an empty jar or coffee can. Allow the grease to cool and solidify. Throw the container in the trash.