Disposal of Fats, Oil and Grease

Keep your drains clog-free with these easy steps:

• Can the grease - Find an empty, heat-safe container, like a soup can. Once cooking oils have cooled, pour them into your container, cover it securely with a grease can lid, and store in the freezer. Once solidified, toss the can into the trash.
• Scrape the plate - Wipe all pots, pans, dishes, and cooking utensils with a paper towel to absorb grease before washing.
• Catch the scraps - Eliminate using the garbage disposal by using a strainer to catch food scraps in your sink, then toss them into the trash.
• ​​Recycle - ​Large quantities of used cooking oil can be recycled at the Virginia Beach City Landfill and Resource Recovery Center​ located at 1989 Jake Sears Road.

Myths about Fats, Oils, and Grease​

It’s ok to pour grease down the drain as long as...

• I use the garbage disposal. MYTH – The garbage disposal only grinds up items before passing them into your sewer pipes. The fats, oil, and grease can still cling to your pipes.
• I chase it down with dish soap. MYTH - It’s true that soap breaks up grease. You see it happen every time you wash your dishes. But what you don’t see is what happens in your sewer pipes. Eventually, soap loses its effectiveness and grease solidifies and congeals on pipe walls.
• I run hot water. MYTH - This myth is similar in logic to chasing grease down the drain with soap. Eventually, the water will cool, and the grease will solidify.
• It is a liquid at room temperature. MYTH - Liquid cooking oils like canola and olive oil float on wastewater and easily adhere to sewer pipes. The oily film can collect food particles and other solids and begin to create a blockage.
• I flush it down the toilet. MYTH - Flushing grease just creates build-up in the toilet piping and drains.