Grease Management

Introduction

Grease can create havoc on your drainage systems, as well as being dangerous for our environment. Understanding how to dispose of it properly and cleanly is essential if you want to avoid costly, disrupting and messy problems.

A staggering 75% of the sewer blockages in the UK are caused as a result of poor management of fats, oils and grease from our kitchens. Because of the significant impact on our environment, this issue is now one of the key priorities of The Environment Agency and water companies, and it is essential that households everywhere understand how to properly dispose of food and grease (FOG).

Following these simple guidelines will significantly reduce the amount of FOG related blockages in your home and workplace:

• Always scrape food scraps into a bin and never down the sink- even the most meticulous among us can allow tiny scraps to escape down the plughole, but using your food bin after preparing and eating every meal will significantly minimise the risk of a blockage.

• Collect cooking oil waste in a drum, and arrange for it to be collected regularly by a designated waste disposal provider- even domestic kitchens use fats and oils that will cause major problems to the environment if not properly disposed of. Pour any leftover fat into a proper container and keep it somewhere safe until collection. Your local council will be able to provide you with details of oil disposal providers.

• Disconnect food disposal units from your main drain network. The Drain Guys can advise you on effective use of food disposal units and how to avoid unwanted deposits.

• Keep food strainers in your sink at all times and make sure they fit your plughole securely- food strainers are essential in modern kitchens, but all plugholes are not created equally. Make sure your strainer and plughole are the perfect fit, so you can efficiently collect the scraps of food and minimise the risk of a blocked sink.

For more information about food and grease management, contact The Drain Guys on 0800 043 5452 or read this free guide published by Water UK.