Cooking Oils

Keep Grease Out of the Pipes

Water does not wash away fats, oils, grease or food scraps. Once they go down a drain or toilet, they cling to the inside of sewer lines and harden until the whole pipe is choked off. The result can be raw sewage backing up into homes and spilling onto yards, streets, parks and creeks. These overflows threaten public health, damage the environment and leave residents paying for the cleanup.

What to Do With Used Cooking Oil

Fredville residents can drop off used cooking oil, along with other household hazardous waste, free of charge at the regional household hazardous waste collection center in Fort Worth. Bring something that shows you live in Fredville. The center is open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, call (555) 010-2268.

Rather stay close to home? Fredville's Health and Environment Department also holds Household Hazardous Waste collection events right here in Fredville. Sign up for the next one online or by calling (555) 010-1261, and remember to bring proof that you live in the city.

Grease Do's and Don'ts

  • Don't pour cooking grease, fats or oils into the sink.
  • Don't treat the toilet like a trash can.
  • Don't count on the sewer to get rid of leftover food.
  • Do pour or scrape extra grease into a container and recycle it.
  • Do put food scraps in the trash or a bagged garbage container, or add them to a compost pile.
  • Do wipe or scrape plates before you wash them.
  • Do practice the "3 R's" of reduce, reuse and recycle; these small habits can save you money too.

Resources and Contacts

  • To learn how sewer overflows happen, see the grease-education campaign run by the regional council of governments.
  • Have a question about getting rid of grease or cooking oil? Reach the Health and Environment Department by phone: (555) 010-1261.
  • The regional council of governments also posts disposal guidance on its website.

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