g-Spout Preventing cooking grease from clogging kitchen sinks and polluting water supply

Do you pour your kitchen grease down the sink ?

Preventing cooking grease from polluting our water supply — not to mention clogging our kitchen sink — is such a simple thing to do. But most people don’t bother. It seems they would rather spend money on nasty chemicals or call a plumber. Millions of households around the world are needlessly polluting the oceans and waterways.

Another important fact to note is how to properly discard used cooking oil. It should never be poured down your kitchen sink or toilet bowl. Oil can congeal and block pipes. The best way to discard it is to pour it into a sealable leak-proof (no-recyclable) container and discard it with the rest of your garbage.

Proper disposal of used cooking oil is an important waste-management concern. Oil is lighter than water and tends to spread into thin and broad membranes which hinder the oxygenation of water. Because of this, a single litre of oil can contaminate as much as 1 million litres of water.

What is FOG?

FOG stands for "Fats, Oils and Grease" and is found in your kitchen or garage. Most FOG comes from the grease and oils we use when cooking at home or at restaurants. But FOG can also come from oils and lubricants machines discharged into floor drains.

Many of the foods we eat contain FOG; meats, sauces, salad dressings, deep-fried dishes, cookies, pastries, butter and many others. Food scraps that we wash down the drain contribute to the fats, oils and grease in the City's sewer lines.

Grease build up in the sewer system can block sewer pipes, interfere with the normal operation of the City's wastewater treatment system and cause sewer spills.

Is FOG a problem?

Yes.

When fats, oils and grease are put into the City sewer lines in any amount they can seriously affect the sewer system's ability to remove waste from our community. FOG can be deposited directly on pipe walls, thus decreasing pipe capacity and, therefore, requiring an increased frequency of cleaning, maintenance, and replacement.

FOG, especially grease (fats that are solid and stable at room temperature) dissolved in a warm and/or soapy liquid may not appear harmful. But when released into the sewer system that liquid cools down significantly. The grease/fats can harden and adhere on the pipe surface. Over time, FOG can cause big problems.

What kind of problems can occur from a grease blockage in my neighborhood line?

FOG gets into your sewer system from household drains, as well as from poorly maintained grease traps in restaurants and other businesses. Sanitary sewer lines blocked by FOG can cause major problems such as:

Raw, septic sewage backing up into your home or your neighbor's home.

Expensive and unpleasant cleanup that you must pay for.

Raw sewage overflowing into neighborhood parks, yards and streets.

Potential contact with disease-causing microorganisms from the sewage overflow.

An increase in operation and maintenance costs for the JCSA, which could cause higher sewer bills for you.

What about using my garbage disposal or use detergent to wash it down the drain?

Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of your sewer system, nor will it prevent grease from building up. Products such as detergents that claim to dissolve grease may pass the grease down the pipeline and cause problems elsewhere.

What you can do to help?

The easiest way to solve the problem of fats, oil and grease buildup and help prevent sewerage overflows is to keep FOG out of the City sewer system. Here are a few tips:

Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.

Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, and grills and cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal.

Pour fats, oils and grease into a container such as an empty jar or coffee can. Once the materials have cooled and solidified and the container is full, secure the lid and throw it in the trash.

Don't put grease down garbage disposals. Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash for disposal.

Communicate with your friends and neighbors about the problem of grease in your sewer system and how to keep it out. The solution starts right in your home with your actions.

We throw everything but the kitchen sink down the kitchen sink - at least, those of us with garbage disposal units in our drains do. But no matter how fine you grind it, all that artery-clogging grease that goes down the drain has a way of gumming up our waterways, so the city of Raleigh in North Carolina has declared a ban on garbage disposal systems, according to the Charlotte Observer

We feel strongly about Health and Environmental causes. So, each year, g-Spout will donate a percentage of sales to health and environment related non-profits. If your organization is seeking funding, write to gifts@g-spout.com.