Don't Flush your fats, region implores
Campaign previously focused on the proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and personal hygiene products.

YorkRegion.com
Oct. 16, 2017
Adam Martin-Robbins

Are you left scratching your head in wonder about how to dispose of the gooey globs of fat left behind after you fry up a pound of bacon for breakfast or roast a whole chicken for dinner? It seems you’re not alone.

The Ontario Clean Water Agency and the Clean Water Foundation have teamed up with a handful of municipal governments — including the Region of York and Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury — to launch a new public awareness campaign urging people not to pour fat, oil or grease down the drain or flush it down the toilet.

Dubbed I Don’t Flush 2017, it’s the third phase of a campaign that previously focused on the proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and the proper way to dispose of personal hygiene products.

The new campaign includes a public service announcement video urging people to: cool it, scrape it, green bin it.

When disposing of fats, oil and grease (FOG) — including meat fat, butter and margarine, milk and cream, sandwich spreads, salad dressing, sauces and gravies — the agencies recommend allowing it to cool in pans then scraping it into the green bin. In the case of liquid FOG, pour it into containers (tin cans, empty coffee cans or milk cartons), leave it to harden then scrape into the green bin.

If you don’t have a green bin, throw it in the trash or consult your municipality for other options.

Improper disposal of fats, oil and grease, especially when combined with flushing personal hygiene products, can lead to costly repairs and have a larger impact on local wastewater facilities, the agencies say.

Canadian municipalities spend more than $250 million a year removing garbage from sewer systems, according to the Municipal Enforcement Sewer Use Group.

“It’s extremely important the public understands that sinks and toilets are not garbage cans,” Christopher Hilkene, president of Clean Water Foundation said in a news release. “As seen in recent news reports, ‘fatbergs’ are causing major blockages in sewer systems around the globe. These massive blobs of FOG and personal hygiene products like wipes can lead to sewage overflows that pollute our natural environment.”

For more information, visit www.idontflush.ca.