Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG), the residue left over from cooking meats such as bacon that hardens after it cools, can cause problems when poured down the drain and clog pipes in your home. Did you know FOG can also clog the sewer pipes under the streets that take the wastewater from your house to the treatment plant? If that happens, the wastewater can back up and come to the surface and pollute the environment.This can allow untreated sewage to run into the streets and into our storm drains.This is not only a human health hazard but, since storm drains flow to creeks and rivers, this can cause significant environmental damage and impact aquatic life forms. You can avoid unnecessary expense and damage to the sewer system by following a few simple rules.
How to Clean Dishes To Protect Your Pipes
Before washing, scrape or wipe cooled grease and sauces from all dishware including utensils, cookware and plates into the trash or compost.
Prewash dishware in cold water.Avoid using the garbage disposal and hot water.The garbage disposal does not destroy grease, it only makes is smaller.If you have accumulated grease in your pipes, putting food scrapes down the drain can clog your pipes faster.
Don’t pour oil or grease down the drain.If grease does go down the drain, follow it with cold water.
How to Dispose of Grease and Cooking Oil Dispose of large quantities of cooking oil by contacting your community environmental coordinator or your nearesthousehold hazardous waste collection station to find out if used cooking oil is accepted. See the list below for information about recycling used cooking oil in your community.
Small amounts of grease, such as meat drippings, can be soaked up with a paper towel and thrown into the trash. Or, reuse fry oil by filtering it and freezing it after it has cooled.
After it has cooled, pour or scrape grease into a sturdy closed-lid container, like a coffee can, and dispose of it in the trash.
Visit Fry Oil to Fuelfor information on recycling used cooking oil to biodiesel, or check the phone book for "recyclers" or "rendering companies".
Learn more about FOGand the costly damages it can cause households, businesses and communities.
*Download proper oil and grease disposal posters on our Publications Page*
Proper Disposal in Your Community
City of Arlington
The
Environmental Collection Centerat 6400 Bridge Street in Fort Worth will accept waste cooking oil at no charge to Arlington residents. Please bring proof of residence.
City of Dallas
Used Cooking Oil
Used cooking or fry oil can be recycled into biofuels. Place your cooking oil (no motor oil, food scraps or grease) in rigid plastic containers with a screw top lid and drop off at these locations. Call for hours:
Fair Oaks Transfer Station7677 Fair Oaks Ave. (214) 670-6126
Bachman Transfer Station9500 Harry Hines Blvd. (214) 670-6161
Oak Cliff Transfer Station4610 Westmoreland Rd. (214) 670-1927
Dallas County Home Chemical Collection Center11234Plano Rd 214-553-1765
City of Fort Worth
The Environmental Collection Center (ECC), located at 6400 Bridge Street in east Fort Worth accepts turkey fryer oil, other cooking oils, and motor oil; however, please bring used cooking oil in its own separate container, do not mix motor oil with cooking oil. The food oils are recycled to create bio-diesel fuel. The Center is open to residents of Fort Worth and participating cities on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (and it's free!). The Center is closed on City holidays. For more information or to see if your city participates, call the ECC Information Line at 817-871-5257 or visit www.fortworthgov.org/dem.
City of Irving
Irving residents should simply return turkey fryer oil to its original container or collect it in another screw-top-type container (no larger than 5 gallons) such as a milk jug after it has cooled. Other vegetable cooking oil (sorry, no cooking grease, fats, food scraps, or motor oil in the same container, please) are also eligible for this recycling effort. Call 972-721-2232 to arrange for curbside pickup.
Irving residents can receive a free kitchen funnel that fits over the mouth of a gallon milk jug (while supplies last!) to assist in their cooking oil collection. Call 972-721-2772 for details or additional information about the disposal of fats, oils, and grease.
City of Grand Prairie
The City of Grand Prairie encourages citizens to
bring used cooking oil to our Household Hazardous Waste Events or to the EnvironmentalCollectionCenter in Fort Worth.Residents are discouraged from putting oils in the trash.
