(Thanks)Giving our Sewers a Chance

The words “Thanksgiving” and “on a diet” are rarely uttered in the same sentence. The holiday is epitomised by the turkey dinner of epic portions and proportions. Every year families flock home from far and wide to eat, drink and be merry. Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting that you should cut down on the festive feasting; wine and cheeseboards at the ready! It’s our sewers that are going on the diet.

As a society, more and more people are doing their part to help the environment. Many people are changing their wasteful and harmful habits to help out the planet in a number of ways. However, fighting the good fight is an ongoing process. One way is by trying to reduce the occurrence of fatbergs.

Festive FOG:

Fatbergs are the result of FOG (fat, oils and grease) in the sewers congealing with wet wipes and other improperly disposed of objects. The monstrous blobs form in the sewers below us and pose a significant threat to the sanitation and infrastructures in our sewers and seas as well as costing a lot in taxpayer money. The issue of fatbergs is an ongoing epidemic. While more of us are playing our part, some environmental experts believe we are undoing our good work with our festive behaviour.

Don’t worry, this blog isn’t going to advise that you stop eating Turkey, or reduce carbon footprint by not travelling home, or anything so extreme. Ultimately this is a family holiday and some traditions can’t be messed with.

However, it is important that we are all mindful of what we put in our sewers this festive season. It is estimated that American’s waste a whopping 30-40% of household foods over Thanksgiving. In these cases, reviewing our wasteful habits is important. Councils across the US are urging people not to pour cooking grease down any drains. Instead, grease should be cooled and allowed to harden in a container before being disposed of more appropriately in a waste solids bin.

Domestic use is important, but restaurants are the key FOG offenders. In places that will serve up endless dinners, trimmings and deserts for hungry families across the country, proper grease management is crucial. For such large quantities of fats, oils and grease, a grease trap must be installed.

For more information and advice on how your kitchen can help make a difference, please contact us HERE. This festive season, we urge you to consider your behaviours in disposing of cooking grease. But most importantly, happy holidays from everyone at Grease Guardian.