The Russian River Watershed Association is currently setting up a new website. It will appear at this web address in early 2012 Thank you.

FATS, OILS & GREASE (FOG) PROGRAM

Cooking grease poured down the sink drains can block sewer pipelines when it congeals and cause sewer backups and overflows ­ into the environment, and into your home!
This practice can be costly to homeowners and is certainly bad for the environment. These types of grease-related sewer spills are preventable through simple measures in the home.

To keep our pipes “Fat-Free”, RRWA encourages you to:

• Never pour fats, oils, or cooking grease down the sink or garbage disposal.

• Pour excess grease into a container with a tight fitting lid and freeze for disposal with your household garbage; and wipe the remaining grease from the pan with a scraper or paper towel.

• Place food scraps in appropriate waste containers or compost bins rather than into the drain or garbage disposal.

Large amounts of cooking oil (for example from turkey fryers) can be filtered, frozen and reused for the preparation of another meal. To place large amounts in the trash, kitty litter can be used to absorb the oil, which can then be placed in the garbage.

Used cooking oils can sometimes be made into biodiesel. For more information about cooking oil recyling in Sonoma County, please see www.recyclenow.org or call the Sonoma County Eco-Desk (707) 565-DESK (3375). In Mendocino County, visit www.mendorecycle.org or call the Recycling Hotline at (707) 468-9704.