It’s finally time to tuck in to the Christmas dinner you’ve been planning and prepping for weeks, but what do you do with the waste?
Well, don’t throw the turkey fat down the drain.
South West Water company are urging people to avoid pouring oils and grease from their Christmas meals down the sink.
They’re warning that fat from Christmas turkeys could fill almost 3,000 bathtubs – and that’s not the kind of bath we want to be taking.
The problem with pouring leftover fat down the drain is it will cool, which can lead to blockages and fatbergs in pipes.
“Tens of thousands of litres of waste fat, cooking oil and grease are poured down sinks in the South West each year along with food waste which can build up in pipes,” says wastewater director Iain Vosper.
“These mix with wrongly flushed items such as wet wipes, hygiene wipes, cleaning wipes, cleansing pads and sanitary products, causing blocked sewers, which can lead to flooding in your homes and in the environment.”
How to properly dispose of turkey fat
To make sure your drains stay clear of any potential blockages, one way to get rid of turkey fat is to let it cool and solidify then scrape it off into the rubbish bin.
Another way to safely dispose of oils and grease is to bottle it up and take it to a recycling centre where it can be collected. You’ll have to check with your local recycling centre first if this is something they take.