Learn how fats, oils and grease used in food preparation clog sewer lines and proper alternatives to disposal of food waste.

Most of us know that grease is a product of cooking.

Grease is found in:

• Meat fats
• Lard
• Cooking oil
• Shortening
• Butter and margarine
• Food scraps
• Baked goods
• Sauces
• Dairy products

Fats, Oils and Grease are used in food processing and in the preparation of meals. Kitchen waste containing these materials, as well as water that has been used to wash cooking equipment, contain waste FOG. When waste FOG is poured down the sink, grease sticks to the inside of sewer pipes where it cools and solidifies, congealing and building up over time, restricting or clogging wastewater flow.

As these fatbergs begin to clog the sewer lines, layer upon layer of other non-disposable items (like wet wipes) that are in the sewer pipes collect with the fat, resulting in sewer blockages and overflows that can cause health hazards by harboring dangerous bacteria, including Listeria and E.coli. Fatbergs may also cause expensive property damage and threaten the environment.

According to Newsweek, these gross grease giants are threatening cities. They can grow to 6 feet tall, more than 800 feet long and weigh as much as four humpback whales!

• Never pour grease or oil down any drain, including your toilet. 
• Instead, pour grease into a can or jar that can be thrown away when cooled.
• Use disposable towels to wipe fats, oils and grease from pots, pans and dishware prior to dishwashing.
• Dispose of food waste directly into the trash. Scrape food scraps from pans and plates into the trash for disposal.
• Put screens/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids and empty them into the trash.
• Speak with your family, friends and neighbors about keeping grease out of the sewers.
• Recycle used or unused cooking oil, like turkey fryer oil, at the new Johnson County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 11231 Mastin Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66210. It is located east of 69 Highway and College Boulevard. Drop-offs are by appointment only.