Fats, Oils, & Grease
Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) are common byproduct produced when cooking food. Many people dispose of the unwanted FOG down their drain, but this is a problem because when poured down the drain, FOG solidifies and causes clogged pipes and sewer overflows. This is both costly to fix, and harmful to the environment. Help reduce clogs and sewer overflows by learning the proper way to handle FOG!
Typical FOG mistakenly poured
down drains:
- Baked goods
- Butter
- Cooking oil
- Dairy products
- Food Scraps
- Frying Oil
- Lard
- Margarine
- Meat fats
- Sauces/dressings
- Shortening
The DO’s & DON’Ts of FOG
- DO allow FOG to cool and then pour into a seal-able container and freeze. Then you may throw away.
- DO scrape food scraps into the trash!
- Wipe cookware and dishes with a paper towel to remove FOG before putting them into the sink or dishwasher.
- DO place strainers in your sink to catch food and then throw the food scraps in the trash.
- If large amounts of cooking oil are left over, DO think about reusing it!
- DON’T pour FOG into sinks, toilets, external drains, or storm sewers.
- DON’T rely on your garbage disposal!
- DON’T grind food up before rinsing it down the drain. It DOES NOT remove FOG and can clog pipes.
- DON’T run hot water over dishes, pans, fryers and/or griddles to wash oil and grease down the drain. It will eventually solidify and cause problems.
- DON’T use de-greasing detergents to break down grease in your pipes. This can move grease through pipes to cause problems further down the line.