No Fat

I've recently signed up for Saanich's Backyard Newsletter to keep me in the loop of what is going on in Saanich my own neighbourhood.  I don't cook a turkey dinner for Christmas, thankfully my sister in law, Brenda, does the traditional dinner.  I'm sure I'm going to be called upon in the future and knowing this trick for fat disposal will come in handy. 

http://www.saanich.ca/living/environment/pdf/ob/OurbackyardWinter2011FinalWeb.pdf

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) aren’t good for our sewers or septic systems. This season, 

put FOG where it belongs. You’ll keep your drains clear and our sewers, septic, and 

watersheds clean and healthy.

Each year almost one million kilograms of fats, oils and grease (FOG) are poured down 

residential drains. These household cooking oils, salad dressings, and fat or grease 

from meat really clog up our wastewater treatment process and they also impact the 

environment.  The build-up of FOG in sewer or septic lines can cause blockages that 

force sewage back into homes or allow it to spill over into our watersheds.

Clogged or restricted sewer lines aren’t just a messy situation for cleanup crews, 

they’re also expensive to deal with: fat clogged lines can cost you in tax dollars. 

Municipalities are spending up to $10,000 per block to repair and maintain sewer 

lines due to the build-up of FOG. 

If you’re connected to an onsite septic system, FOG can also be hard on your tank and 

drain field. Oils can form a puddle on the surface of your septic tank, preventing septic 

tank bacteria from doing their digesting job. If FOG moves from the septic tank into 

the drainage field, it can cause expensive blockages and contaminate surrounding soil 

and groundwater supplies. 

Even FOG in liquid form (such as olive oil) can cause problems when you pour it down 

the drain; many oils solidify at lower temperatures and can clog further down the 

line. Those that don’t solidify often bind to other forms of fats and grease, creating 

blockages, or they move through the system too quickly, preventing treatment. 

The good news?  The solutions are simple and free! 

For small amounts of grease, sauces, and salad dressings:

Use a paper towel or citrus peels to wipe 

out the container and remove most of the 

oily residue before rinsing in the sink. 

For grease left over from cooking and 

frying:

•Cool fats, then pour or scoop into a 

sealable container.  

•Store the sealed container in the 

refrigerator or freezer until full and 

then dispose of it with your household 

garbage, curbside organics collection 

bin where applicable, or take it to the 

recycling area at Hartland Landfill, no 

charge, to be recycled into industrial 

fuel, soap, among other consumable 

items.

For large residential amounts of deep fryer fat:

•Store in a sealed container and take to Hartland Landfill for recycling.