Store it Don't Pour it
Fats, oils, and grease from food products and by products of cooking, such as butter, margarine, lard, shortening, cooking oils, soups, vegetable oils, salad dressings, meat fat, sauces and gravies, condiments, dairy products, nuts, and sandwich spreads, are hazardous to your pipes, sewer systems and the environment. When fats, oils and grease are poured down the drain and enter the sewer system, they will cool, harden and stick to the inner walls of the pipes. Even small amounts will add up over time, and eventually this material builds up, restricting wastewater flow, causing odors and even leading to messy and expensive clogged pipes, floodings and sewer back-ups. Repairing sewage infrastructure can lead to increased water rates.
What you can do with your Fats, Oils, Grease
- Do Wipe grease from cooking equipment using paper towel or absorbents before washing and put it in the compost.
- Do Recycle oil
- Do Place grease from cooking into a container (can or jar) to cool and solidify before disposal.
- Do Scrape expired dairy into the compost bin.
- Do Scrape food scraps into the compost bin.
Don't!
- Don’t pour or rinse fats, oils and grease down sinks, drains, or toilets (they all lead to the same place).
- Don’t use reuseable cloths or rags because when washed, it will still end up in your pipes.
- Don’t drain turkey drippings or gravy down the drain or toilet.
- Don’t use chemical drain cleaners, they can damage pipes and wastewater treatment systems, and they are ineffective at removing buildup.
- Don’t run hot water over dishes, pans, fryers or griddles to wash oil and grease down the drain.
Fats
- Dairy products (yogurt, sour cream, milk, butter, ghee, cream, cheese ice cream)
- Margarine
- Shortening
- Gravy
- Soups and broths
- Meat
Oils
- Cooking oils (olive, coconut, canola, vegetable, peanut, sesame)
- Salad dressings
- Condiments
- Marinades
- Mayonnaise
Grease
- Animal fats left over from cooking meats
- Bacon
- Cooking grease
- Pan drippings
Commercial Establishments
Protect your kitchen’s plumbing, the wastewater treatment plants and the environment. And save yourself $$s in repairs!
- Wipe fats, oils, and grease (FOG) and scrape food waste from all dishes into the waste bin before washing or soaking.
- Install, clean, inspect and regularly maintain a grease interceptor system.
- Properly dispose of FOG and food waste contents.
- ECODINE, Calgary
- Redux, Calgary
- All Bins Ltd., Calgary
- Cascades Recovery+, Calgary
- Shepard Landfill, Calgary
- Airdrie Recycle Depot, Airdire
- 310-Dump, Calgary
- Super Save Group, Calgary
- Collective Waste Solutions, Calgary
- Harvest Recycling, Calgary
- Grease interceptor service providers may take care of the disposal as well.
- Recycle used deep fryer oil using a service provider and keep bin areas clean from spills.
- ECODINE
- Redux
- Ensure FOG is not disposed of into the environment or stormwater system.
- Use a kitchen strainer to prevent food residue from going down the drain.
Fats, Oils, Grease flyer.
Protect the Sewers
Commercial FOG information
Grease Interceptor maintenance reporting form